„..„„.,. 


LIBRARY 

ity  <rf  C« 

IRVINE 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 


"  'Girl  !'  he-  shouted,  'don't  try  to  call  out.      Kcvp  quirt'  " 


THE  GIRL  AND 
THE   BILL 


IL  L  USTRA  TIONS  B  Y 
HARRISON  FISHER 
AXD  THE  KINNEYS 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 
1909 


PS 

3.525 


GS 


COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

Published,  March,  l'J09 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  THE   THRESHOLD   OF  ADVENTURE    .      .  1 

II  SENHOR    PORITOL 21 

III  THE  SHADOWS 41 

IV  THE  GIRL  OF  THE  CAR 58 

V  "  EVANS,    S.    R." 77 

VI  A   CHANCE    LEAD 93 

VII  A  JAPANESE  AT  LARGE 115 

VIII  THE    TRAIL   OF   MAKU 136 

IX  NUMBER   THREE    FORTY-ONE      .      .      .  162 

X  "  FIND   THE   AMERICAN  "  178 

XI  THE  WAY  OUT    .......  192 

XII  POWER  OF   DARKNESS 209 

XIII  AN  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  SEA  ....  223 

XIV  PRISONERS  IN  THE  DARK      ....  253 

XV  FROM  THE  DEVIL  TO  THE  DEEP  SEA  .  279 

XVI  THE    STRUGGLE 295 

XVII  A  CHANCE  OF  THE  GAME    ....  322 

XVIII  THE   GOAL 347 

XIX  A  SAVED   SITUATION 359 


The  Girl  and  the  Bill 

CHAPTER  I 

THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE 

THE  roar  of  State  Street  filled  the  ears  of  Robert 
Orme  not  unpleasantly.  He  liked  Chicago,  felt 
towards  the  Western  city  something  more  than  the 
tolerant,  patronizing  interest  which  so  often  char 
acterizes  the  Eastern  man.  To  him  it  was  the 
hub  of  genuine  Americanism — young,  aggressive, 
perhaps  a  bit  too  cocksure,  but  ever  bounding 
along  with  eyes  toward  the  future.  Here  was  the 
city  of  great  beginnings,  the  city  of  experiment 
— experiment  with  life;  hence  its  incompleteness 
— an  incompleteness  not  dissimilar  to  that  of  life 
itself.  Chicago  lived;  it  was  the  pulse  of  the 
great  Middle  West. 

Orme  watched  the  procession  with  clear  eyes. 
He  had  been  strolling  southward  from  the  Ma 
sonic  Temple,  into  the  shopping  district.  The 
clangor,  the  smoke  and  dust,  the  hurrying  crowds, 
all  worked  into  his  mood.  The  expectation  of 
adventure  was  far  from  him.  Nor  was  he  a  man 


2  THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

who  sought  Impressions  for  amusement ;  whatever 
came  to  him  he  weighed,  and  accepted  or  re 
jected  according  as  it  was  valueless  or  useful. 
Wholesome  he  was ;  anyone  might  infer  that  from 
his  face.  Doubtless,  his  fault  lay  in  his  overem 
phasis  on  the  purely  practical ;  but  that,  after  all, 
was  a  lawyer's  fault,  and  it  was  counterbalanced 
by  a  sweet  kindliness  toward  all  the  world — a 
loveableness  which  made  for  him  a  friend  of  every 
chance  acquaintance. 

It  was  well  along  in  the  afternoon,  and  shop 
pers  were  hurrying  homeward.  Orme  noted  the 
fresh  beauty  of  the  women  and  girls — Chicago 
has  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  daughters — and  his 
heart  beat  a  little  faster.  Not  that  he  was  a 
man  to  be  caught  by  every  pretty  stranger;  but 
scarcely  recognized  by  himself,  there  was  a  hidden 
spring  of  romance  in  his  practical  nature. 
Heart-free,  he  never  met  a  woman  without  won 
dering  whether  she  was  the  one.  He  had  never 
found  her;  he  did  not  know  that  he  was  looking 
for  her;  yet  always  there  was  the  unconscious 
question. 

A  distant  whistle,  the  clanging  of  gongs,  the 
rapid  beat  of  galloping  hoofs — fire-engines  were 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE      3 

racing  down  the  street.  Cars  stopped,  vehicles 
of  all  kinds  crowded  in  toward  the  curbs. 

Orme  paused  and  watched  the  fire  horses  go 
thundering  by,  their  smoking  chariots  swaying 
behind  them  and  dropping  long  trails  of  sparks. 
Small  boys  were  running,  men  and  women  were 
stopping  to  gaze  after  the  passing  engines,  but 
Orme's  attention  was  taken  by  something  that 
was  happening  near  by,  and  as  the  gongs  and  the 
hoof-beats  grew  fainter  he  looked  with  interest  to 
the  street  beside  him. 

He  had  got  as  far  as  the  corner  of  Madison 
Street.  The  scramble  to  get  out  of  the  way  of 
the  engines  had  here  resulted  in  a  traffic-jam. 
Two  policemen  were  moving  about,  shouting  or 
ders  for  the  disentanglement  of  the  street-cars 
and  vehicles  which  seemed  to  be  inextricably 
wedged  together. 

A  burly  Irish  teamster  was  bellowing  at  his 
horse.  The  hind  wheel  of  a  smart  barouche  was 
caught  in  the  fore  wheel  of  a  delivery  wagon,  and 
the  driver  of  the  delivery  wagon  was  expressing 
his  opinion  of  the  situation  in  terms  which  seemed 
to  embarrass  the  elderly  gentleman  who  sat  in 
the  barouche.  Orme's  eye  traveled  through  the 


4  THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

outer  edge  of  the  disturbance,  and  sought  its 
center. 

There  in  the  midst  of  the  tangle  was  a  big 
black  touring-car.  Its  one  occupant  was  a  girl 
— and  such  a  girl  !  Her  fawn-colored  cloak  was 
thrown  open;  her  face  was  unveiled.  Orme  was 
thrilled  when  he  caught  the  glory  of  her  face — 
the  clear  skin,  browned  by  outdoor  living;  the  de 
mure  but  regular  features ;  the  eyes  that  seemed 
to  transmute  and  reflect  softly  all  impressions 
from  without.  Orme  had  never  seen  anyone  like 
her — so  nobly  unconscious  of  self,  so  appealing 
and  yet  so  calm. 

She  was  waiting  patiently,  interested  in  the 
clamor  about  her,  but  seemingly  undisturbed  by 
her  own  part  in  it.  Orme's  eyes  did  not  leave  her 
face.  He  was  merely  one  of  a  crowd  at  the  curb, 
unnoted  by  her,  but  when  after  a  time,  he  became 
aware  that  he  was  staring,  he  felt  the  blood  rush 
to  his  cheeks,  and  he  muttered :  "  What  a  boor  I 
am !  "  And  then,  "  But  who  can  she  be  ?  who  can 
she  be?  " 

A  policeman  made  his  way  to  the  black  car. 
Orme  saw  him  speak  to  the  girl;  saw  her  brows 
knit;  and  he  quickly  threaded  his  way  into  the 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE      5 

street.  His  action  was  barely  conscious,  but  noth 
ing  could  have  stopped  him  at  that  moment. 

"  You'll  have  to  come  to  the  station,  miss,"  the 
policeman  was  saying. 

"  But  what  have  I  done  ?  "  Her  voice  was 
broken  music. 

"  You've  violated  the  traffic  regulations,  and 
made  all  this  trouble,  that's  what  you've  done." 

"  I'm  on  a  very  important  errand,"  she  began, 
«  and » 

"  I  can't  help  that,  miss,  you  ought  to  have 
had  someone  with  you  that  knew  the  rules." 

Her  eyes  were  perplexed,  and  she  looked  about 
her  as  if  for  help.  For  a  moment  her  gaze  fell  on 
Orme,  who  was  close  to  the  policeman's  elbow. 

Now,  Orme  had  a  winning  and  disarming  smile. 
Without  hesitation,  he  touched  the  policeman  on 
the  shoulder,  beamed  pleasantly,  and  said: 
"  Pardon  me,  officer,  but  this  car  was  forced  over 
by  that  dray." 

"  She  was  on  the  wrong  side,"  returned  the 
policeman,  after  a  glance  which  modified  his  first 
intention  to  take  offense.  "  She  had  no  business 
over  here." 

"It  was  either  that  or  a  collision.     My  wheel 


(5  THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

was  scraped,  as  it  was."  She,  too,  was  smiling 
now. 

The  policeman  pondered.  He  liked  to  be  called 
"  officer " ;  he  liked  to  be  smiled  upon ;  and  the 
girl,  to  judge  from  her  manner  and  appearance, 
might  well  be  the  daughter  of  a  man  of  position. 
"**  Well,"  he  said  after  a  moment,  "  be  more  care 
ful  another  time."  He  turned  and  went  back  to 
his  work  among  the  other  vehicles,  covering  the 
weakness  of  his  surrender  by  a  fresh  display  of 
angry  authority. 

The  girl  gave  a  little  sigh  of  relief  and  looked 
at  Orme.  "  Thank  you,"  she  said. 

Then  he  remembered  that  he  did  not  know  this 
girl.  "Can  I  be  of  further  service?"  he  asked. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  "  I  think  not.  But  thank 
you  just  the  same."  She  gave  him  a  friendly  lit 
tle  nod  and  turned  to  the  steering-gear. 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  go,  and  Orme 
returned  to  the  curb.  A  moment  later  he  saw  the 
black  car  move  slowly  away,  and  he  felt  as  though 
something  sweet  and  fine  were  going  out  of  his 
life.  If  only  there  had  been  some  way  to  prolong 
the  incident !  He  knew  intuitively  that  this  girl 
belonged  to  his  own  class.  Any  insignificant  ac- 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE      7 

quaintance  might  introduce  them  to  each  other. 
And  yet  convention  now  thrust  them  apart. 

Sometime  he  might  meet  her.  Indeed,  he  de 
termined  to  find  out  who  she  was  and  make  that 
sometime  a  certainty.  .He  would  prolong  his  stay 
in  Chicago  and  search  society  until  he  found  her. 
No  one  had  ever  before  sent  such  a  thrill  through 
his  heart.  He  must  find  her,  become  her  friend, 

perhaps But,  again  he  laughed  to  himself, 

"  What  a  boor  I  am  !  " 

After  all  she  was  but  a  passing  stranger,  and 
the  pleasant  revery  into  which  his  glimpse  of  her 
had  led  him  was  only  a  revery.  The  memory  of 
her  beauty  and  elusive  charm  would  disappear ;  his 
vivid  impression  of  her  would  be  effaced.  But 
even  while  he  thought  this  he  found  himself  again 
wondering  who  she  was  and  how  he  could  find  her. 
He  could  not  drive  her  from  his  mind. 

Meantime  he  had  proceeded  slowly  on  his  way. 
Suddenly  a  benevolent,  white-bearded  man  halted 
him,  with  a  deprecating  gesture.  "  Excuse  me, 
sir,"  he  began,  "  but  your  hat " 

Orme  lifted  his  straw  hat  from  his  head.  A 
glance  showed  him  that  it  was  disfigured  by  a 
great  blotch  of  black  grease.  He  had  held  his 


8  THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

hat  in  his  hand  while  talking  to  the  girl,  and  it 
must  have  touched  her  car  at  a  point  where  the 
axle  of  the  dray  had  rubbed.  So  this  was  his  one 
memento  of  the  incident. 

He  thanked  the  stranger,  and  walked  to  a  near 
by  hatter's,  where  a  ready  clerk  set  before  him 
hats  of  all  styles.  He  selected  one  quickly  and 
left  his  soiled  hat  to  be  cleaned  and  sent  home 
later. 

Offering  a  ten-dollar  bill  in  payment,  he  received 
in  change  a  five-dollar  bill  and  a  silver  dollar. 
He  gave  the  coin  a  second  glance.  It  was  the  first 
silver  dollar  that  he  had  handled  for  some  time, 
for  he  seldom  visited  the  West. 

"  There's  no  charge  for  the  cleaning,"  said  the 
clerk,  noting  down  Orme's  name  and  address,  and 
handing  the  soiled  hat  to  the  cash-boy. 

Orme,  meantime,  was  on  the  point  of  folding 
the  five-dollar  bill  to  put  it  into  his  pocket-book. 
Suddenly  he  looked  at  it  intently.  Written  in 
ink  across  the  face  of  it,  were  the  words : 

"  REMEMBER  PERSON  You  PAY  THIS  To." 

The  writing  was  apparently  a  hurried  scrawl, 
but  the  letters  were  large  and  quite  legible.  They 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE      9 

appeared  to  have  been  written  on  an  uneven  sur 
face,  for  there  were  several  jogs  and  breaks  in  the 
writing,  as  if  the  pen  had  slipped. 

"  This  is  curious,"  remarked  Orme. 

The  clerk  blinked  his  watery  eyes  and  looked 
at  the  bill  in  Orme's  hand.  "  Oh,  yes,  sir,"  he 
explained.  "  I  remember  that.  The  gentleman 
who  paid  it  in  this  morning  called  our  attention 
to  it." 

"If  he's  the  man  who  wrote  this,  he  probably 
doesn't  know  that  there's  a  law  against  defacing 
money." 

"  But  it's  perfectly  good,  isn't  it  ?  "  inquired 
the  clerk.  "  If  you  want  another  instead " 

"  Oh,  no,"  laughed  Orme.  "  The  banks  would 
take  it." 

"  But,  sir "  began  the  clerk. 

"  I  should  like  to  keep  it.  If  I  can't  get  rid 
of  it,  I'll  bring  it  back.  It's  a  hoax  or  an  endless 
chain  device  or  something  of  the  sort.  I'd  like  to 
find  out." 

He  looked  again  at  the  writing.  Puzzles  and 
problems  always  interested  him,  especially  if  they 
seemed  to  involve  some  human  story. 

"  Very   well,"    said   the   clerk,   "  I'll   remember 


10         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

that  you  have  it,  Mr. "  he  peered  at  the  name 

he  had  set  down — "  Mr.  Orme." 

Leaving  the  hatter's,  Orme  turned  back  on 
State  Street,  retracing  his  steps.  It  was  close 
to  the  dinner  hour,  and  the  character  of  the  street 
crowds  had  changed.  The  shoppers  had  disap 
peared.  Suburbanites  were  by  this  time  aboard 
their  trains  and  homeward  bound.  The  street 
was  thronged  with  hurrying  clerks  and  shop 
girls,  and  the  cars  were  jammed  with  thousands 
more,  all  of  them  thinking,  no  doubt,  of  the  same 
two  things — something  to  eat  and  relaxation. 

What  a  hive  it  was,  this  great  street!  And 
how  scant  the  lives  of  the  great  majority! 
Working,  eating,  sleeping,  marrying  and  given 
in  marriage,  bearing  children  and  dying — was 
that  all  ?  "  But  growing,  too,"  said  Orme  to 
himself.  "  Growing,  too."  Would  this  be  the 
sum  of  his  own  life — that  of  a  worker  in  the  hive  ? 
It  came  to  him  with  something  of  an  inner  pang 
that  thus  far  his  scheme  of  things  had  included 
little  more.  He  wondered  why  he  was  now  recog 
nizing  this  scantiness,  this  lack  in  his  life. 

He  came  out  of  his  revery  to  find  himself  again 
at  the  Madison  Street  corner.  Again  he  seemed 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE     11 

to  see  that  beautiful  girl  in  the  car,  and  to  hear 
the  music  of  her  voice. 

How  could  he  best  set  about  to  find  her  ?  She 
might  be,  like  himself,  a  visitor  in  the  city.  But 
there  was  the  touring-car.  Well,  she  might  have 
run  in  from  one  of  the  suburbs.  He  could  think 
of  no  better  plan  than  to  call  that  evening  on  the 
Wallinghams  and  describe  the  unknown  to  Bessie 
and  try  to  get  her  assistance.  Bessie  would  di 
vine  the  situation,  and  she  would  guy  him  un 
mercifully,  he  knew ;  but  he  would  face  even  that 
for  another  glimpse  of  the  girl  of  the  car. 

And  at  that  moment  he  was  startled  by  a  sharp 
explosion.  He  looked  to  the  street.  There  was 
the  black  car,  bumping  along  with  one  flat  tire. 
The  girl  threw  on  the  brakes  and  came  to  a 
stop. 

In  an  instant  Orme  was  in  the  street.  If  he 
thought  that  she  would  not  remember  him,  her 
first  glance  altered  the  assumption,  for  she  looked 
down  at  him  with  a  ready  smile  and  said: 
"  You  see,  I  do  need  you  again,  after  all." 

As  for  Orme,  he  could  think  of  nothing  better 
to  say  than  simply,  "  I  am  glad."  With  that  he 
began  to  unfasten  the  spare  tire. 


12         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  I  shall  watch  you  with  interest,"  she  went  on. 
"  I  know  how  to  run  a  car — though  you  might 
not  think  it — but  I  don't  know  how  to  repair 
one." 

"  That's  a  man's  job  anyway,"  said  Orme,  busy 
now  with  the  jack,  which  was  slowly  raising  the 
wheel  from  the  pavement. 

"  Shall  I  get  out  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Does  my 
weight  make  any  difference  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Orme ;  but,  nevertheless,  she 
descended  to  the  street  and  stood  beside  him  while 
he  worked.  "  I  didn't  know  there  were  all  those 
funny  things  inside,"  she  mused. 

Orme  laughed.  Her  comment  was  vague,  but 
to  him  it  was  enough  just  to  hear  her  voice.  He 
had  got  the  wheel  clear  of  the  street  and  was  tak 
ing  off  the  burst  tire. 

"  We  seem  fated  to  meet,"  she  said. 

Orme  looked  up  at  her.  "  I  hope  you  won't 
think  me  a  cad,"  he  said,  "  if  I  say  that  I  hope 
we  may  meet  many  times." 

Her  little  frown  warned  him  that  she  had  mis 
understood. 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  the  Tom  Walling- 
hams  ?  "  he  asked. 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE     13 

Her  smile  returned.  "  I  know  a  Tom  Wall- 
ingham  and  a  Bessie  Wallingham." 

"  They're  good  friends  of  mine.  Don't  you 
think  that  they  might  introduce  us  ?" 

"  They  might,"  she  vouchsafed,  "  if  they  hap 
pened  to  see  us  both  at  the  same  time." 

Orme  returned  to  his  task.  The  crowd  that 
always  gathers  was  now  close  about  them,  and 
there  was  little  opportunity  for  talk.  He  fin 
ished  his  job  neatly,  and  stowed  away  the  old  tire. 

She  was  in  the  car  before  he  could  offer  to  help 
her.  "  Thank  you  again,"  she  said. 

"  If  only  you  will  let  me  arrange  it  with  the 
Wallinghams,"  he  faltered. 

"  I  will  think  about  it."     She  smiled. 

He  felt  that  she  was  slipping  away.  "  Give  me 
some  clue,"  he  begged. 

"  Where  is  your  spirit  of  romance  ?  "  she  railed 
at  him ;  then  apparently  relenting :  "  Per 
haps  the  next  time  we  meet " 

Orme  groaned.  With  a  little  nod  like  that 
which  had  dismissed  him  at  the  time  of  his  first 
service  to  her,  she  pulled  the  lever  and  the  car 
moved  away. 

Tumult  in   his   breast,    Orme  walked   on.     He 


14         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

watched  the  black  car  thread  its  way  down  the 
street  and  disappear  around  a  corner.  Then  he 
gave  himself  over  to  his  own  bewildering  reflec 
tions,  and  he  was  still  busy  with  them  when  he 
found  himself  at  the  entrance  of  the  Pere  Mar- 
quette.  He  had  crossed  the  Rush  Street  bridge 
and  found  his  way  up  to  the  Lake  Shore  Drive 
almost  without  realizing  whither  he  was  going. 

Orme  had  come  to  Chicago,  at  the  request  of 
Eastern  clients,  to  meet  half-way  the  owners  of  a 
Western  mining  property.  When  he  registered 
at  the  Annex,  he  found  awaiting  him  a  telegram 
saying  that  they  had  been  detained  at  Denver  and 
must  necessarily  be  two  days  late.  Besides  the 
telegram,  there  had  been  a  letter  for  him — a  letter 
from  his  friend,  Jack  Baxter,  to  whom  he  had 
written  of  his  coming.  Jack  had  left  the  city  on 
business,  it  appeared,  but  he  urged  Orme  to  make 
free  of  his  North  Side  apartment.  So  Orme  left 
the  Annex  and  went  to  the  rather  too  gorgeous, 
but  very  luxurious  Pere  Marquette,  where  he 
found  that  the  staff  had  been  instructed  to  keep 
a  close  eye  on  his  comfort.  All  this  had  happened 
but  three  short  hours  ago. 

After  getting  back  to  the  apartment,  Orme's 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE    15 

first  thought  was  to  telephone  to  Bessie  Walling- 
ham.  He  decided,  however,  to  wait  till  after  din 
ner.  He  did  not  like  to  appear  too  eager.  So  ho 
went  down  to  the  public  dining-room  and  ate 
what  was  placed  before  him,  and  returned  to  his 
apartment  just  at  dusk. 

In  a  few  moments  he  got  Bessie  Wallingham  on 
the  wire. 

"  Why,  Robert  Orme  ! "  she  exclaimed. 
"  Wherever  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  The  usual  place.  Are  you  and  Tom  at  home 
this  evening  ?  " 

"  I'm  so  sorry.  We're  going  out  with  some 
new  friends.  Wish  I  knew  them  well  enough  to 
ask  you  along.  Can  you  have  some  golf  with  us 
at  Arradale  to-morrow  afternoon  ?  " 

"  Delighted !  Say,  Bessie,  do  you  know  a  girl 
who  runs  a  black  touring-car  ?  " 

"  What  ?  " 

"  Do  you  know  a  tall,  dark  girl  who  has  a  black 
touring-car  ?  " 

"  I  know  lots  of  tall,  dark  girls,  and  several  of 
them  have  black  touring-cars.  Why  ?  " 

"  Who  are  they  ?  " 

There  was  a  pause  and  a  little  chuckle;  then: 


16         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Now,  Bob,  that  won't  do.  You  must  tell  me  all 
about  it  to-morrow.  Call  for  us  in  time  to  catch 
the  one-four." 

That  was  all  that  Orme  could  get  out  of  her; 
and  after  a  little  banter  and  a  brief  exchange  of 
greetings  with  Tom,  who  was  called  to  the  tele 
phone  by  his  wife,  the  wire  was  permitted  to  rest. 

Orme  pushed  a  chair  to  the  window  of  the  sit 
ting-room  and  smoked  lazily,  looking  out  over  the 
beautiful  expanse  of  Lake  Michigan,  which  re 
flected  from  its  glassy  surface  the  wonderful  opal- 
escence  of  early  evening.  He  seemed  to  have  set 
forth  on  a  new  and  adventurous  road.  How 
strangely  the  girl  of  the  car  had  come  into  his 
life! 

Then  he  thought  of  the  five-dollar  bill,  with  the 
curious  inscription.  He  took  it  from  his  pocket- 
book  and  examined  it  by  the  fading  light.  The 
words  ran  the  full  length  of  the  face.  Orme  no 
ticed  that  the  writing  had  a  foreign  look.  There 
were  flourishes  which  seemed  distinctly  un- 
American. 

He  turned  the  bill  over.  Apparently  there  was 
no  writing  on  the  back,  but  as  he  looked  more 
closely  he  saw  a  dark  blur  in  the  upper  left-hand 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE     17 

corner.  Even  in  the  dusk  he  could  make  out  that 
this  was  not  a  spot  of  dirt ;  the  edges  were  defined 
too  distinctly  for  a  smudge ;  and  it  was  not  black 
enough  for  an  ink-blot. 

Moving  to  the  center-table,  he  switched  on  the 
electric  lamp,  and  looked  at  the  blur  again.  It 
stood  out  plainly  now,  a  series  of  letters  and 
numbers : 

EVANS,  S.  R.  Cm.  A.  100  N.  210  E.  T. 

The  first  thought  that  came  to  Orme  was  that 
this  could  be  no  hoax.  A  joker  would  have  made 
the  curious  cryptogram  more  conspicuous.  But 
what  did  it  mean  ?  Was  it  a  secret  formula  ? 
Did  it  give  the  location  of  a  buried  treasure  ? 
And  why  in  the  name  of  common  sense  had  it  been 
written  on  a  five-dollar  bill? 

More  likely,  Orme  reasoned,  it  concealed  infor 
mation  for  or  about  some  person — "  S.  R. 
Evans,"  probably.  And  who  was  this  S.  R. 
Evans  ? 

The  better  to  study  the  mystery,  Orme  copied 
the  inscription  on  a  sheet  of  note-paper,  which  he 
found  in  the  table  drawer.  From  the  first  he  de 
cided  that  there  was  no  cipher.  The  letters  un- 


18         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

doubtedly  were  abbreviations.  "  Evans  "  must 
be,  as  he  had  already  determined,  a  man's  name. 
"  Chi "  might  be,  probably  was,  "  Chicago." 
"100  N.  210  E."  looked  like  "100  (feet? 
paces?)  north,  210  (feet?  paces?)  east." 

The  "  A."  and  the  "  T."  bothered  him.  "  A." 
might  be  the  place  to  which  "  S.  R.  Evans  "  was 
directed,  or  at  which  he  was  to  be  found — a  place 
sufficiently  indicated  by  the  letter.  Now  as  to 
the  "  T."— was  it  "  treasure "  ?  Or  was  it 
"  time  "  ?  Or  "  true  "  ?  Orme  had  no  way  of 
telling.  It  might  even  be  the  initial  of  the  person 
who  had  penned  the  instructions. 

Without  knowing  where  "  A."  was,  Orme  could 
make  nothing  of  the  cryptogram.  For  that 
matter,  he  realized  that  unless  the  secret  were 
criminal  it  was  not  his  affair.  But  he  knew  that 
legitimate  business  information  is  seldom  trans 
mitted  by  such  mysterious  means. 

Again  and  again  he  went  over  the  abbreviations, 
but  the  more  closely  he  studied  them,  the  more 
baffling  he  found  them.  The  real  meaning  ap 
peared  to  hinge  on  the  "  A."  and  the  "  T."  Even 
tually  he  was  driven  to  the  conclusion  that  those 
two  letters  could  not  be  understood  by  anyone 


THE    THRESHOLD    OF    ADVENTURE     19 

who  was  not  already  partly  in  the  secret,  if  se 
cret  it  was.  It  occurred  to  him  to  have  the  city 
directory  sent  up  to  him.  He  might  then  find  the 
address  of  "  S.  R.  Evans,"  if  that  person  happened 
to  be  a  Chicagoan.  But  it  was  quite  likely  that 
the  "  Chi."  might  mean  something  other  than  that 
"  Evans  "  lived  in  Chicago.  Perhaps,  in  the  morn 
ing  he  would  satisfy  his  curiosity  about  "  S.  R. 
Evans,"  but  for  the  present  he  lacked  the  inclina 
tion  to  press  the  matter  that  far. 

In  the  midst  of  his  puzzling,  the  telephone-bell 
rang.  He  crossed  the  room  and  put  the  receiver 
to  his  ear.  "  Yes  ?  "  he  questioned. 

The  clerk's  voice  answered.  "  Senhor  Poritol 
to  see  Mr.  Orme." 

"  Who  ?  " 

"  S-e-n-h-o-r — P-o-r-i-t-ol,"    spelled    the    clerk. 

"  I  don't  know  him,"  said  Orme.  "  There  must 
be  some  mistake.  Are  you  sure  that  he  asked 
for  me  ?  " 

There  was  a  pause.  Orme  heard  a  few  scat 
tered  words  which  indicated  that  the  clerk  was 
questioning  the  stranger.  Then  came  the  in 
formation  :  "  He  says  he  wishes  to  see  you  about 
a  five-dollar  bill." 


20         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Oh !  "  Orme  realized  that  he  had  no  reason  to 
be  surprised.  "  Well,  send  him  up." 

He  hung  up  the  receiver  and,  returning  to  the 
table,  put  the  marked  bill  back  into  his  pocket- 
book  and  slipped  into  a  drawer  the  paper  on  which 
he  had  copied  the  inscription. 


CHAPTER  II 

SENHOR    POUITOL 

WHEN  Orme  answered  the  knock  at  the  door  a 
singular  young  man  stood  at  the  threshold.  He 
was  short,  wiry,  and  very  dark.  His  nose  was 
long  and  complacently  tilted  at  the  end.  His 
eyes  were  small  and  very  black.  His  mouth  was 
a  wide,  .uncertain  slit.  In  his  hand  he  carried  a 
light  cane  and  a  silk  hat  of  the  flat-brimmed 
French  type.  And  he  wore  a  gray  sack  suit, 
pressed  and  creased  with  painful  exactness. 

"  Come  in,  Senhor  Poritol,"  said  Orme,  motion 
ing  toward  a  chair. 

The  little  man  entered,  with  short,  rapid  steps. 
He  drew  from  his  pocket  a  clean  pocket-handker 
chief,  which  he  unfolded  and  spread  out  on  the 
surface  of  the  table.  Upon  the  handkerchief  he 
carefully  placed  his  hat  and  then,  after  an  inef 
fectual  effort  to  make  it  stand  against  the  table 
edge,  laid  his  cane  on  the  floor. 

Not  until  all  this  ceremony  had  been  completed 
did  he  appear  to  notice  Orme.  But  now  he  turned> 

SI 


22         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

widening  his  face  into  a  smile  and  extending 
his  hand,  which  Orme  took  rather  dubiously — it 
was  supple  and  moist. 

"  Oh,  this  is  Mr.  Orme,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Orme,  freeing  himself  from  the  un 
pleasant  handshake. 

"  Mr.  Robert  Orme  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  name.  What  can  I  do  for 
you  ?  " 

For  a  moment  Senhor  Poritol  appeared  to 
hover  like  a  timid  bird;  then  he  seated  himself  on 
the  edge  of  a  chair,  only  the  tips  of  his  toes 
touching  the  floor.  His  eyes  danced  brightly. 

"  To  begin  with,  Mr.  Orme,"  he  said,  "  I  am 
charmed  to  meet  you — very  charmed."  He  rolled 
his  "  r's  "  after  a  fashion  that  need  not  be  repro 
duced.  "  And  in  the  second  place,"  he  continued, 
"  while  actually  I  am  a  foreigner  in  your  dear 
country,  I  regard  myself  as  in  spirit  one  of  your 
natives.  I  came  here  when  a  boy,  and  was  edu 
cated  at  your  great  University  of  Princeton." 

"  You  are  a  Portuguese — I  infer  from  your 
name,"  said  Orme. 

"  Oh,  dear,  no !  Oh,  no,  no,  no ! "  exclaimed 
Senhor  Poritol,  tapping  the  floor  nervously  with 


SENHOR    PORITOL  23 

his  toes.  "  My  country  he  freed  himself  from  the 
Portuguese  yoke  many  and  many  a  year  ago.  I 
am  a  South  American,  Mr.  Orme — one  of  the 
poor  relations  of  your  great  country."  Again 
the  widened  smile.  Then  he  suddenly  became 
grave,  and  leaned  forward,  his  hands  on  his  knees. 
"  But  this  is  not  the  business  of  our  meeting,  Mr. 
Orme." 

"  No  ?  "  inquired  Orme. 

"  No,  my  dear  sir.  I  have  come  to  ask  of  you 
about  the  five-dollar  bill  which  you  received  in  the 
hat-shop  this  afternoon."  He  peered  anxiously. 
"  You  still  have  it  ?  You  have  not  spent  it  ?  " 

"  A  marked  bill,  was  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes.  Where  is  it,  my  dear  sir,  where 
is  it  ?  " 

"  Written  across  the  face  of  it  were  the  words, 
'  Remember  person  you  pay  this  to.' ' 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes." 

"  And  on  the  back  of  it " 

"  On  the  back  of  it ! "  gasped  the  little  man. 

"  Was  a  curious  cryptogram." 

"  Do  not  torture  me  !  "  exclaimed  Senhor  Pori- 
tol.  "  Have  you  got  it  ?  "  His  fingers  worked 
nervously. 


24         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Yes,"  said  Orme  slowly,  "  I  still  have  it." 

Senhor  Poritol  hastily  took  a  fresh  five-dollar 
bill  from  his  pocket.  "  See,"  he  said,  jumping 
to  the  floor,  "here  is  another  just  as  good  a  bill. 
I  give  this  to  you  in  return  for  the  bill  which  was 
paid  to  you  this  afternoon.  "  He  thrust  the  new 
bill  toward  Orme,  and  waved  his  other  hand  rhe 
torically.  "  That,  and  that  alone,  is  my  business 
with  you,  dear  sir." 

Orme's  hand  went  to  his  pocket.  The  visitor 
watched  the  motion  eagerly,  and  a  grimace  of  dis 
appointment  contracted  his  features  when  the 
hand  came  forth,  holding  a  cigar-case. 

"  Have  one,"  Orme  urged. 

In  his  anxiety  the  little  man  almost  danced. 
"  But,  sir,"  he  broke  forth,  "  I  am  in  desperate 
hurry.  I  must  meet  a  friend.  I  must  catch  a 
train." 

"  One  moment,"  interrupted  Orme.  "  I  can't 
very  well  give  up  that  bill  until  I  know  a  little  bet 
ter  what  it  means.  You  will  have  to  show  me 
that  you  are  entitled  to  it — and  " — he  smiled — 
"  meantime  you'd  better  smoke." 

Senhor  Poritol  sighed.  "  I  can  assure  you  of 
my  honesty  of  purpose,  sir,"  he  said.  "  I  cannot 


SENHOR    PORITOL  25 

tell  you  about  it.  I  have  not  the  time.  Also,  it 
is  not  my  secret.  This  bill,  sir,  is  just  as  good 
as  the  other  one." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  Orme  dryly.  He  was  won 
dering  whether  this  was  some  new  counterfeiting 
dodge.  How  easily  most  persons  could  be  in 
duced  to  make  the  transfer! 

A  counterfeiter,  however,  would  hardly  work  by 
so  picturesque  and  noticeable  a  method,  unless  he 
were  carefully  disguised — hardly  even  then.  Was 
Senhor  Poritol  disguised?  Orme  looked  at  him 
more  closely.  No,  he  could  see  where  the  roots 
of  the  coarse  black  hair  joined  the  scalp.  And 
there  was  not  the  least  evidence  of  make-up  on  the 
face.  Nevertheless,  Orme  did  not  feel  warranted 
in  giving  up  the  marked  bill  without  a  definite  ex 
planation.  The  little  man  was  a  comic  figure, 
but  his  bizarre  exterior  might  conceal  a  danger 
ous  plot.  He  might  be  a  thief,  an  anarchist,  any 
thing. 

"  Please,  my  dear  sir,  please  do  not  add  to  my 
already  very  great  anxiety,"  pleaded  the  visitor. 

Orme  spoke  more  decisively.  "  You  are  a 
stranger,  Senhor  Poritol.  I  don't  know  what  all 
this  mystery  conceals,  but  I  can't  give  you  that 


26         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

bill  unless  I  know  more  about  it — and  I  won't," 
he  added,  as  he  saw  Senhor  Poritol  open  his 
mouth  for  further  pleading. 

"  Very  well,"  sighed  the  little  man.  He  hesi 
tated  for  an  instant,  then  added :  "  I  do  not 
blame  you  for  insisting,  and  I  suppose  I  must  say 
to  you  everything  that  you  demand.  No,  I  do 
not  smoke  the  cigar,  please.  But  if  you  do  not 
object —  "  He  produced  a  square  of  cigarette 
paper  and  some  tobacco  from  a  silver-mounted 
pouch,  and  deftly  rolled  a  cigarette  with  one  hand, 
accepting  a  match  from  Orme  with  the  other. 
Closing  his  eyes,  he  inhaled  the  smoke  deeply, 
breathing  it  out  through  his  nostrils. 

"Well — "  he  hesitated,  his  eyes  roving  about 
the  room  as  if  in  search  of  something — "  Well,  I 
will  explain  to  you  why  I  want  the  bill." 

Orme  lighted  a  fresh  cigar,  and  settled  himself 
to  hear  the  story.  Senhor  Poritol  drew  a  second 
handkerchief  from  his  pocket  and  mopped  his 
damp  brow. 

"  You  must  know,  my  very  dear  sir,"  he  began, 
"  that  I  come  from  a  country  which  is  very  rich 
in  the  resources  of  nature.  In  the  unsettled  in 
terior  are  very  great  mineral  deposits  which  are 


SENHOR  PORITOL  27 

little  known,  and  since  the  day  when  the  great 
Vega  made  the  first  exploration  there  has  been 
the  belief  that  the  Urinaba  Mountains  hide  a 
great  wealth  in  gold.  Many  men  for  three  hun 
dred  years  have  risked  their  most  precious  lives 
to  go  look  for  it.  But  they  have  not  found  it. 
No,  my  dear  sir,  they  have  not  found  it  until — 
But  have  patience,  and  you  shall  hear  every 
thing. 

"  A  few  days  ago  a  countryman  of  mine  sent 
word  that  he  was  about  to  die.  He  asked  that  I, 
his  early  friend,  should  come  to  him  immediately 
and  receive  news  of  utmost  importance.  He  was 
lying  sick  in  the  hotel  of  a  small  city  in  Wiscon 
sin.  He  was  a  tobacco  agent  and  he  had  been  at 
tacked  by  Death  while  he  was  on  a  business  trip. 

"  Filled  with  the  heartbroken  hope  to  see  him 
once  more  before  he  died,  I  went  even  as  I  was,  to 
a  train  and  made  all  haste  to  his  bedside." 

"  What  was  his  name  ?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  Lopez,"  replied  Senhor  Poritol  promptly ; 
and  Orme  knew  that  the  answer  might  as  well  have 
been  Smith.  But  the  little  man  returned  quickly 
to  his  story. 

"  My  friend  had  no  strength  left.     He  was,  oh, 


28         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

so  weak  that  I  wept  to  see  him.  But  he  sent  the 
doctor  and  the  priest  out  of  the  room,  and  then — 
and  then  he  whispered  in  my  ear  a  secret.  He 
had  discovered  rich  gold  in  the  Urinaba  country. 
He  had  been  trying  to  earn  money  to  go  back  and 
dig  up  the  gold.  But,  alas  !  now  he  was  dying, 
and  he  wished  to  give  the  secret  to  me,  his  old 
friend. 

"  Tears  streamed  on  my  cheek."  Senhor  Pori- 
tol's  eyes  filled,  seemingly  at  the  remembrance. 
"  But  I  took  out  my  fountain-pen  to  write  down 
the  directions  he  wished  to  give.  See — this  was 
the  pen."  He  produced  a  gold-mounted  tube 
from  his  waistcoat. 

"  I  searched  my  pockets  for  a  piece  of  paper. 
None  could  I  discover.  There  was  no  time  to  be 
lost,  for  my  friend  was  growing  weaker,  oh,  very 
fast.  In  desperation  I  took  a  five-dollar  bill, 
and  wrote  upon  it  the  directions  he  gave  me  for 
finding  the  gold.  Even  as  I  finished  it,  dear 
Lopez  breathed  his  last  breath." 

Orme  puffed  at  his  cigar.  "  So  the  bill  carries 
directions  for  finding  a  rich  deposit  in  the  Uri 
naba  Mountains  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  dear  sir.     But  you  would  not  rob 


SENHOR    PORITOL  29 

me  of  it.     You  could  not  understand  the  direc 
tions." 

"  Oh,  no."  Orme  laughed.  "  I  have  no  inter 
est  in  South  American  gold  mines." 

"  Then  accept  this  fresh  bill,"  implored  Senhor 
Poritol,  "  and  give  me  back  the  one  I  yearn  for." 

Orme  hesitated.  "A  moment  more,"  he  said. 
"Tell  me,  how  did  you  lose  possession  of  the 
marked  bill  ?  " 

The  South  American  writhed  in  his  chair  and 
leaned  forward  eagerly.  "  That  is  the  most  dis 
tressing  part  of  all,"  he  exclaimed.  "  I  had  left 
Chicago  at  a  time  when  my  presence  in  this  great 
city  was  very  important  indeed.  Nothing  but 
the  call  from  a  dying  friend  would  have  induced 
me  to  go  away.  My  whole  future  in  this  country 
depended  upon  my  returning  in  time  to  complete 
certain  business. 

"  So,  after  dear  Lopez  was  dead,  I  rushed  to 
the  local  railroad  station.  A  train  was  coming  in. 
I  searched  my  pocket  for  my  money  to  buy  my 
ticket.  All  I  could  find  was  the  five-dollar  bill! 

"  It  was  necessary  to  return  to  Chicago ;  yet  I 
could  not  lose  the  bill.  A  happy  thought  struck 
me.  I  wrote  upon  the  face  of  it  the  words  you 


30         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

have  seen,  and  paid  it  to  the  ticket-agent.  I 
called  his  attention  to  the  writing  and  implored 
him  to  save  the  bill  if  he  could  until  I  returned, 
and  if  not,  to  be  sure  to  remember  the  person  he 
gave  it  to." 

Orme  laughed. 

"  It  does  seem  funny,"  said  Senhor  Poritol, 
rolling  another  cigarette,  "  but  you  cannot 
imagine  my  most  frantic  desperation.  I  returned 
to  Chicago  and  transacted  my  business.  Then 
I  hastened  back  to  the  Wisconsin  city.  Woe  is 
me  !  The  ticket-agent  had  paid  the  bill  to  a 
Chicago  citizen.  I  secured  the  name  of  this  man 
and  finally  found  him  at  his  office  on  La  Salic 
Street.  Alas  !  he,  too,  had  spent  the  bill,  but  I 
tracked  it  from  person  to  person,  until  now,  my 

dear  sir,  I  have  found  it  ?  So "  he  paused 

and  looked  eloquently  at  Orme. 

"  Do  you  know  a  man  named  Evans  ?  "  Orme 
asked. 

Senhor  Poritol  looked  at  him  in  bewilderment. 

"  S.  R.  Evans,"  insisted  Orme. 

"  Why,  no,  dear  sir — I  think  not — But  what 
has  that  to  do ?  " 

Orme  pushed  a  sheet  of  paper  across  the  table. 


SENHOR    PORITOL  31 

"  Oblige  me,  Senhor  Poritol.  Print  in  small  cap 
itals  the  name,  '  S.  R.  Evans.'  " 

Senhor  Poritol  was  apparently  reluctant. 
However,  under  the  compulsion  of  Orme's  eye,  he 
finally  took  out  his  fountain-pen  and  wrote  the 
name  in  flowing  script.  He  then  pushed  the  paper 
back  toward  Orme,  with  an  inquiring  look. 

"  No,  that  isn't  what  I  mean,"  exclaimed  Orme. 
"  Print  it.  Print  it  in  capital  letters." 

Senhor  Poritol  slowly  printed  out  the  name. 

Orme  took  the  paper,  laying  it  before  him. 
He  then  produced  the  coveted  bill  from  his  pocket- 
book.  Senhor  Poritol  uttered  a  little  cry  of  de 
light  and  stretched  forth  an  eager  hand,  but 
Orme,  who  was  busily  comparing  the  letters  on 
the  paper  with  the  letters  on  the  bill,  waved  him 
back. 

After  a  few  moments  Orme  looked  up.  "  Sen 
hor  Poritol,"  he  said,  "  why  didn't  you  write  the 
secret  on  a  time-table,  or  on  your  ticket,  before 
you  gave  the  bill  to  the  agent?  " 

Senhor  Poritol  was  flustered.  "  Why,"  he  said 
uncertainly,  "  I  did  not  think  of  that.  How  can 
we  explain  the  mistakes  we  make  in  moments  of 
great  nervousness  ?  " 


32         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  True,"  said  Orme.  "  But  one  more  point. 
You  did  not  yourself  write  your  friend's  secret  on 
the  bill.  The  letters  which  you  have  just  printed 
are  differently  made." 

Senhor  Poritol  said  nothing.  He  was  breath 
ing  hard. 

"  On  the  other  hand,"  continued  Orme,  turning 
the  bill  over  and  eyeing  the  inscription  on  its  face, 
"  your  mistake  in  first  writing  the  name  instead 
of  printing  it,  shows  me  that  you  did  write  the 
words  on  the  face  of  the  bill."  He  returned  the 
bill  to  his  pocket-book.  "  I  can't  give  you  the 
bill,"  he  said.  "  Your  story  doesn't  hold  to 
gether." 

With  a  queer  little  scream,  the  South  American 
bounded  from  his  chair  and  flung  himself  at 
Orme.  He  struck  no  blow,  but  clawed  desperately 
at  Orme's  pocket.  The  struggle  lasted  only 
for  a  moment.  Orme,  seizing  the  little  man  by  the 
collar,  dragged  him,  wriggling,  to  the  door. 

"  Now  get  out,"  said  Orme.  "  If  I  find  you 
hanging  around,  I'll  have  you  locked  up." 

Senhor  Poritol  whispered :  "  It  is  my  secret. 
Why  should  I  tell  you  the  truth  about  it  ?  You 
have  no  right  to  know." 


SENHOR    PORITOL  33 

Orme  retained  his  hold.  "  I  don't  like  your 
looks,  my  friend,"  he  said.  "  There  may  have 
been  reason  why  you  should  lie  to  me,  but  you  will 
have  to  make  things  clear."  He  considered.  Af 
ter  all,  he  must  make  allowance;  so  he  said: 
"  Come  back  to-morrow  with  evidence  that  you 
are  entitled  to  the  bill,  and  you  shall  have  it."  He 
released  Senhor  Poritol. 

The  little  man  had  recovered  his  composure. 
He  went  back  to  the  table  and  took  up  his  hat 
and  cane,  refolding  the  handkerchief  and  slipping 
it  into  his  pocket.  Once  more  he  was  the  Latin 
fop.  He  approached  Orme,  and  his  manner  was 
deprecatory. 

"  My  most  abject  apologies  for  attacking  you, 
sir.  I  was  beside  myself.  But  if  you  will  only 
permit  me,  I  will  bring  up  my  friend,  who  is  wait 
ing  below.  He  will,  as  you  say,  vouch  for  me." 

"  Who  is  he  ?  " 

"  A  very,  very  distinguished  man." 

Orme  pondered.  The  adventure  was  opening 
up,  and  he  felt  inclined  to  see  it  through. 
"  Bring  him,"  he  said  shortly. 

When  Senhor  Poritol  had  disappeared  Orme 
telephoned  to  the  clerk.  "  Send  me  up  a  porter," 


34         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

he  ordered,  "  and  have  him  stand  just  outside  my 
door,  with  orders  to  enter  if  he  hears  any  dis 
turbance."  He  waited  at  the  door  till  the  porter 
appeared,  then  told  him  to  remain  in  a  certain 
place  until  he  was  needed,  or  until  the  visitors  left. 

Senhor  Poritol  remained  downstairs  for  sev 
eral  minutes.  Evidently  he  was  explaining  the 
situation  to  his  friend.  But  after  a  time  Orme 
heard  the  clang  of  the  elevator  door,  and  in  re 
sponse  to  the  knock  that  quickly  followed,  he 
opened  his  own  door.  At  the  side  of  his  former 
visitor  stood  a  dapper  foreigner.  He  wore  a 
long  frock  coat  and  carried  a  glossy  hat,  and  his 
eyes  were  framed  by  large  gold  spectacles. 

"  This  is  the  Senhor  Alcatrante,"  explained 
Senhor  Poritol. 

The  newcomer  bowed  with  suave  dignity. 

"  Senhor  Alcatrante  ?  The  name  is  familiar," 
said  Orme,  smiling. 

Poritol  assumed  an  air.  "  He  is  the  minister 
from  my  country  to  these  United  States." 

Orme  understood.  This  was  the  wary  South 
American  diplomat  whose  name  had  lately  been 
so  prominent  in  the  Washington  dispatches. 
What  was  he  doing  in  Chicago  ? 


SENHOR    PORITOL  35 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,"  said  Orme. 

Alcatrante  smiled,  displaying  a  prominent  row 
of  uneven  teeth. 

"  My  young  friend,  Poritol,"  he  began,  "  tells 
me  that  you  have  in  your  possession  the  record  of 
a  secret  belonging  to  him.  What  that  secret  is, 
is  immaterial  to  you  and  me,  I  take  it.  He  is  an 
honorable  young  man — excitable,  perhaps,  but 
well-meaning.  I  would  suggest  that  you  give 
him  the  five-dollar  bill  he  desires,  accepting  from 
him  another  in  exchange.  Or,  if  you  still  doubt 
him,  permit  me  to  offer  you  a  bill  from  my  own 
pocket."  He  drew  out  a  fat  wallet. 

The  situation  appeared  to  be  simplified.  And 
yet  Orme  was  dubious.  There  was  mischief  in 
the  bill ;  so  much  he  felt  sure  of.  Alcatrante's  rep 
utation  was  that  of  a  fox,  and  as  for  Poritol,  he 
was,  to  say  the  least,  a  person  of  uncertain  quali 
ties.  Orme  could  not  but  admire  the  subtle  man 
ner  in  which  Alcatrante  sought  delicately  to  limit 
his  doubts  to  the  mere  possibility  that  Poritol  was 
trying  to  pass  spurious  money.  He  decided  not 
to  settle  the  question  at  this  moment. 

"  This  seems  to  be  rather  a  mixed-up  affair, 
Senhor  Alcatrante,"  he  said.  "  There  is  much 


36         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

more  in  it  than  appears.  Call  on  me  to-morrow 
morning,  and  you  shall  have  my  decision." 

Alcatrante  and  Poritol  looked  at  each  other. 
The  minister  spoke: 

"  Will  you  engage  not  to  give  the  bill  to  any 
one  else  in  the  interval  ?  " 

"  I  will  promise  that,"  said  Orme.  "  It  is  only 
fair.  Yes,  I  will  keep  the  bill  until  to-morrow 
morning." 

"  One  other  suggestion,"  continued  Alcatrante. 
"  You  may  not  be  willing  to  give  up  the  bill,  but 
is  there  any  reason  why  you  should  refuse  to  let 
Senhor  Poritol  copy  the  writing  that  is  on  it  ?  " 

"  Only  my  determination  to  think  the  whole 
matter  over  before  I  do  anything  at  all,"  Orme 
replied. 

"  But  the  bill  came  into  your  hands  by  chance," 
insisted  the  minister.  "  The  information  means 
nothing  to  you,  though  obviously  it  means  a  great 
deal  to  my  young  friend,  here.  May  I  ask  what 
right  you  have  to  deny  this  request  ?  " 

"  What  right?  "  Orme's  eyes  narrowed.  "  My 
right  is  that  I  have  the  bill  and  the  information, 
and  I  intend  to  understand  the  situation  better  be 
fore  I  give  the  information  to  anyone  else." 


SENHOR    PORITOL  37 

"  But  you  recognized  Senhor  Poritol's  hand 
writing  on  the  bill,"  exclaimed  the  minister. 

"  On  the  face  of  it,  yes.  He  did  not  write  the 
abbreviations  on  the  back." 

"  Abbreviations !  "  exclaimed  Poritol. 

"  Please  let  the  matter  rest  till  morning,"  said 
Orme  stubbornly.  "I  have  told  you  just  what  I 
would  do." 

Poritol  opened  his  mouth  to  speak,  but  Al- 
catrante  silenced  him  with  a  frown.  "  Your 
word  is  sufficient,  Mr.  Orme,"  he  said.  "  We  will 
call  to-morrow  morning.  Is  ten  o'clock  too 
early  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Orme.  "  Doubtless  I  shall 
be  able  to  satisfy  you.  I  merely  wish  to  think 
it  over." 

With  a  formal  bow,  Alcatrante  turned  to  the 
door  and  departed,  Poritol  following. 

Orme  strolled  back  to  his  window  and  stood 
idly  watching  the  lights  of  the  vessels  on  the  lake. 
But  his  mind  was  not  on  the  unfolded  view  before 
him.  He  was  puzzling  over  this  mystery  in  which 
he  had  so  suddenly  become  a  factor.  Unques 
tionably,  the  five-dollar  bill  held  the  key  to  some 
serious  problem. 


38         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Surely  Alcatrante  had  not  come  merely  as  the 
friend  of  Poritol,  for  the  difference  in  the  station 
of  the  two  South  Americans  was  marked.  Pori 
tol  was  a  cheap  character — useful,  no  doubt,  in 
certain  kinds  of  work,  but  vulgar  and  unconvinc 
ing.  He  might  well  be  one  of  those  promoters 
who  hang  on  at  the  edge  of  great  projects,  hop 
ing  to  pick  up  a  commission  here  and  there.  His 
strongest  point  was  his  obvious  effort  to  triumph 
over  his  own  insignificance,  for  this  effort,  by  its 
comic  but  desperate  earnestness,  could  not  but 
command  a  certain  degree  of  respect. 

Alcatrante,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  name  to 
make  statesmen  knit  their  brows.  A  smooth 
trouble-maker,  he  had  set  Europe  by  the  ears  in 
the  matter  of  unsettled  South  American  loans, 
dexterously  appealing  to  the  much-overworked 
Monroe  Doctrine  every  time  his  country  was 
threatened  by  a  French  or  German  or  British 
blockade.  But  his  mind  was  of  no  small  caliber. 
He  could  hold  his  own  not  only  at  his  own  game 
of  international  chess,  but  in  the  cultured  dis 
cussion  of  polite  topics.  Orme  knew  of  him  as  a 
clever  after-dinner  speaker,  a  man  who  could, 


SENHOR    PORITOL  39 

when  he  so  desired,  please  greatly  by  his  personal 
charm. 

No,  Alcatrante  was  no  friend  of  Poritol's;  nor 
was  it  likely  that,  as  protector  of  the  interests  of 
his  countrymen,  he  would  go  so  far  as  to  accom 
pany  them  on  their  errands  unless  much  was  at 
stake.  Perhaps  Poritol  was  Alcatrante's  tool 
and  had  bungled  some  important  commission.  It 
occurred  to  Orme  that  the  secret  of  the  bill  might 
be  connected  with  the  negotiation  of  a  big  busi 
ness  concession  in  Alcatrante's  country.  "  S.  R. 
Evans  "  might  be  trying  to  get  control  of  rubber 
forests  or  mines — in  the  Urinaba  Mountains,  per 
haps,  after  all. 

In  any  event,  he  felt  positive  that  the  secret  of 
the  bill  did  not  rightfully  belong  to  Poritol.  If 
the  bill  had  been  in  his  possession,  he  should  have 
been  able  to  copy  the  abbreviated  message.  Indeed, 
the  lies  that  he  had  told  were  all  against  the  notion 
of  placing  any  confidence  in  him.  The  two  South 
Americans  were  altogether  too  eager. 

Orme  decided  to  go  for  a  walk.  He  could 
think  better  in  the  open  air.  He  took  up  his  hat 
and  cane,  and  descended  in  the  elevator. 


40         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

In  the  office  the  clerk  stopped  him. 

"A  man  called  to  see  you  a  few  minutes  ago, 
Mr.  Orme.  When  I  told  him  that  you  were  en 
gaged  with  two  visitors  he  went  away." 

"  Did  he  leave  his  name  ?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  No,  sir.     He  was  a  Japanese." 

Orme  nodded  and  went  on  out  to  the  street. 
What  could  a  Japanese  want  of  him  ? 


THE    SHADOWS 

ORME  walked  north  along  the  Lake  Shore 
Drive.  As  best  he  could,  he  pieced  together  the 
curious  adventures  of  the  day.  The  mystery  of 
the  five-dollar  bill  and  the  extreme  anxiety  of 
Poritol  seemed  to  be  complicated  by  the  appear 
ance  of  the  Japanese  at  the  Pere  Marquette. 
Orme  sought  the  simplest  explanation.  He  knew 
that  mysterious  happenings  frequently  become 
clear  when  one  definitely  tries  to  fit  them  into  the 
natural  routine  of  every-day  life.  The  Japanese, 
he  mused,  was  probably  some  valet  out  of  a  job. 
But  how  could  he  have  learned  Orme's  name.  Pos 
sibly  he  had  not  known  it;  the  clerk  might  have 
given  it  to  him.  The  incident  hardly  seemed 
worth  second  thought,  but  he  found  himself  per 
sistently  turning  to  one  surmise  after  another 
concerning  the  Japanese.  For  Orme  was  con 
vinced  that  he  stood  on  the  edge  of  a  significant 
situation. 

Suddenly  he  took  notice  of  a  figure  a  short 
41 


42         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

distance  ahead  of  him.  This  man — apparently 
very  short  and  stocky — was  also  going  north 
ward,  but  he  was  moving  along  in  an  erratic  man 
ner.  At  one  moment  he  would  hurry  his  steps,  at 
the  next  he  would  almost  stop.  Evidently  he  was 
regulating  his  pace  with  a  purpose. 

Orme  let  his  eyes  travel  still  farther  ahead.  He 
observed  two  men  actively  conversing.  From 
time  to  time  their  discussion  became  so  animated 
that  they  halted  for  a  moment  and  faced  each 
other,  gesticulating  rapidly.  Every  time  they 
halted,  the  single  figure  nearer  to  Orme  slowed 
down  his  own  pace. 

The  oblivious  couple  came  under  a  street  lamp 
and  again  turned  toward  each  other.  Their  pro 
files  were  distinct.  Orme  had  already  suspected 
their  identity,  for  both  had  high  hats  and  carried 
canes,  and  one  of  them  was  in  a  sack  suit,  while 
the  other  wore  a  frock  coat.  And  now  the  pro 
files  verified  the  surmise.  There  was  no  mistak 
ing  the  long,  tip-tilted  nose  of  the  shorter  man  and 
the  glinting  spectacles  of  the  other.  The  two 
were  Poritol  and  Alcatrante. 

But    who    was    the    man    trailing    them  ?      A 


THE    SHADOWS  43 

friendly  guard  ?  Or  a  menacing  enemy  ?  Orme 
decided  to  shadow  the  shadow. 

At  a  corner  not  far  from  the  entrance  to  Lin 
coln  Park,  Poritol  and  Alcatrante  became  so 
apparently  excited  that  they  stood,  chattering  vol 
ubly  for  several  minutes.  The  shadow  stopped  al 
together.  He  folded  his  arms  and  looked  out 
over  the  lake  like  any  casual  wanderer,  but  now 
and  then  he  turned  his  head  toward  the  others. 
He  seemed  to  be  indifferent  to  what  they  were 
saying,  though  he  was  near  enough  to  them  to 
catch  fragments  of  their  conversation,  if  he  so 
desired.  The  South  Americans  were  probably 
talking  in  that  dialect  of  Portuguese  which  their 
nation  has  developed. 

Meantime  Orme  also  stopped,  taking  up  a  posi 
tion  like  that  of  the  shadow.  He  saw  Poritol, 
with  outstretched,  questioning  hands,  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  face  of  Alcatrante,  who  seemed  to  be 
delivering  orders.  The  flashing  reflections  of 
light  from  the  minister's  spectacles  indicated  his 
authoritative  nods  of  the  head. 

After  a  time  Alcatrante  evidently  completed  his 
instructions.  He  removed  his  hat  and  bowed 


44,         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

formally.  Little  Poritol  echoed  the  salute  and, 
turning,  shot  off  down  a  side  street,  with  ridic 
ulously  rapid  movements  of  his  short  legs.  Orme 
inferred  that  he  was  bound  for  the  North  Clark 
Street  car  line.  Alcatrante  continued  along  the 
drive. 

When  the  South  Americans  separated,  the 
shadow  quickly  came  to  life.  He  hesitated  for  an 
instant,  as  if  in  doubt  which  of  the  two  to  follow, 
then  decided  in  favor  of  Alcatrante,  who  was 
moving  in  leisurely  fashion  toward  the  park  en 
trance,  his  head  bowed  in  thought.  Orme  found 
himself  wondering  what  snaky  plots  were  winding 
through  that  dark  mind. 

The  procession  of  three  silently  entered  the 
park.  The  shadow  was  about  a  hundred  feet  be 
hind  Alcatrante.  Orme  kept  the  same  distance 
between  himself  and  the  shadow. 

The  minister  was  in  no  hurry.  Indifferent 
to  his  surroundings  he  made  his  way,  with  no  ap 
parent  interest  in  the  paths  he  took.  At  last  he 
turned  into  a  dark  stretch  and  for  the  moment 
was  lost  to  sight  in  the  night. 

Suddenly  the  shadow  darted  forward.  Orme 
hurried  his  own  pace,  and  in  a  moment  he  heard 


THE    SHADOWS  45 

the  sounds  of  a  short,  sharp  struggle — a  scuffling 
of  feet  in  the  gravel,  a  heavy  fall.  There  was  no 
outcry. 

Orme  broke  into  a  run.  At  a  point  where  the 
path  was  darkest  he  checked  himself  for  an  in 
stant.  A  little  distance  ahead  a  man  lay  flat  on 
the  ground,  and  bending  over  him  was  a  short, 
stocky  figure. 

Orme  leaped  forward  and  swung  his  cane. 
The  stick  was  tough  and  the  blow  was  hard 
enough  to  send  a  man  to  earth,  but  the  robber 
had  heard  Orme's  approach,  and  looked  up  from 
his  victim  just  in  time.  With  a  motion  inde 
scribably  swift,  he  caught  with  one  hand  the  de 
scending  cane  and  wrenched  it  from  Orme's  grasp. 
Then  he  crouched  to  spring. 

At  this  instant  Orme  heard  footsteps  behind 
him.  A  turn  of  the  head  showed  a  threatening 
figure  at  his  back.  There  had  been  four  men  in 
that  procession  through  the  park! 

By  a  quick  leap  to  one  side,  Orme  placed  him 
self  for  the  moment  out  of  danger.  His  two 
assailants,  moving  too  fast  to  stop,  bumped  to 
gether.  They  faced  about  for  another  spring  at 
him.  And  then  there  was  a  short  scratching 


46         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

sound,  and  in  the  hand  of  the  man  on  the  ground 
flared  a  match. 

"  Ha !  "  exclaimed  the  prostrate  Alcatrante,  "  I 
thought  so  !  " 

Orme  found  himself  looking  into  the  contorted 
faces  of  two  Japanese. 

Discovery  was  evidently  the  last  thing  the  hold 
up  men  desired,  for  they  disappeared  like  a  flash, 
diving  through  the  shrubbery  behind  them. 
Orme,  dazed  and  breathing  hard,  attempted  no 
immediate  pursuit.  He  stepped  quickly  to  Al 
catrante  and  helped  him  to  his  feet. 

"  I  am  not  hurt,"  said  the  South  American. 
"  When  the  man  threw  me  to  the  ground,  I  feigned 
that  I  was  stunned.  It  is  wiser  not  to  resist 
a  thug,  is  it  not  so  ?  "  He  brushed  the  dust  from 
his  clothing  with  his  handkerchief.  Orme  handed 
him  his  hat,  which  had  rolled  to  one  side.  The 
minister  rubbed  it  carefully  with  his  coat-sleeve. 
"  See,"  he  laughed,  nodding  at  the  ground,  "  my 
cane  is  broken.  I  must  have  fallen  on  it." 

"  Since  you're  not  hurt,"  said  Orme,  "  we'd 
better  get  after  the  thieves." 

"Bah!"  replied  Alcatrante.  "What  is  the 
use  ?  They  are  already  far  away — and  the}'  got 


THE  SHADOWS  47 

nothing."  He  laughed.  "  Is  it  not  always  bet 
ter  to  avoid  notoriety,  Mr.  Orme  ?  " 

"  As  a  rule,  no  doubt — but  in  this  instance " 

"  No,"  said  Alcatrante  firmly,  "  I  really  must 
insist  that  we  let  the  matter  drop.  As  for  me,  I 
shall  return  to  my  hotel.  Perhaps  you  will  walk 
along  with  me." 

Orme  hesitated.  **  I  don't  like  those  thieves  to 
get  off  without  a  chase,  senhor." 

"  But,  my  dear  Mr.  Orme,  they  did  me  no 
harm." 

Orme  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  You  forget 
that  there  was  one  after  me  as  well  as  one  after 
you." 

"  No,  I  don't  forget  that.  But  don't  you  see, 
Mr.  Orme  ?  Those  two  men  were  not  after  our 
valuables." 

"  Indeed  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  What  they  would  like  is  my  little 
friend  Poritol's  secret." 

"  But  why  Japanese  ?  "     Orme  was  puzzled. 

"  Why,  indeed  ?  A  cunning  Japanese  might 
as  easily  have  got  wind  of  it  as  anyone  else." 

"  But  why  did  you  say,  '  I  thought  so  '  ?  "  per 
sisted  Orme. 


48         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Did  I  say  that  ?  It  must  have  been  because 
I  suspected  that  only  a  Japanese  could  be  so  agile 
as  my  assailant.  But  all  this  is  immaterial.  I 
should  have  warned  you  that  Poritol's  secret  is 
dangerous.  You  should  not  have  left  your 
apartments." 

"Well,  this  certainly  is  a  queer  kettle  of  fish," 
muttered  Orme.  He  was  beginning  to  feel  dis 
gusted  with  the  situation.  He  did  not  like  Al- 
catrante's  oily  smoothness,  and  he  wondered 
whether  it  would  not  have  been  better  to  hand  the 
bill  over  to  Poritol  at  the  first  demand.  But  it 
came  to  his  mind  that  in  a  certain  degree  he  stood 
committed  to  continue  the  policy  he  had  adopted. 
He  had  sought  adventure;  it  was  coming  to  him 
in  full  measure. 

Together  they  walked  back  toward  the  park 
entrance.  The  minister  seemingly  exerted  him 
self  to  regain  the  ground  he  had  lost  with  Orme. 
He  proved  an  interesting  conversationalist — 
keen,  slightly  cynical,  but  not  without  an  under- 
note  of  earnestness. 

"  You  have  seen  me  much  abused  by  your  press, 
Mr.  Orme,"  he  said.  "  That  is  natural.  I  have 
the  interests  of  my  own  country  to  protect,  and 


THE    SHADOWS  49 

those  interests  are  of  necessity  sometimes  opposed 
to  the  interests  of  other  countries.  But  if  your 
people  would  be  even  more  patient  with  us — all 
we  need  is  time.  There  is  reason  for  our  per 
sistent  to-morrow;  for  we  are  young,  and  it  is  a 
slow  process  to  realize  on  our  resources.  That  is 
why  we  do  not  pay  our  debts  more  promptly." 

Orme  said  nothing,  but  he  thought  of  looted 
South  American  treasuries,  of  exiled  presidents 
squandering  their  official  stealings  at  Paris  and 
Monte  Carlo,  of  concessions  sold  and  sold  again 
to  rival  foreign  companies. 

They  had  now  reached  the  park  entrance. 
"  There  is  a  cab,"  said  Alcatrante.  "  You  will 
ride  with  me  as  far  as  your  hotel  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  no,"  said  Orme.  "  I  rather  need 
the  walk." 

Alcatrante  smiled  persuasively.  "  Permit  me 
to  urge  you.  If  you  should  be  robbed,  my  little 
friend  might  lose  his  precious  secret.  Poor 
boy  ! "  he  added.  "  His  father  was  my  friend, 
and  I  cannot  refuse  him  a  service." 

The  cab  had  swung  around  to  the  curb  be 
side  them.  Orme  had  no  fear  of  robbery  on  the 
lighted  drive,  but  since  Alcatrante  was  so  in- 


50         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

sistent  he  felt  inclined  to  yield.  He  might  as  well 
ride;  so  he  permitted  the  minister  to  bow  him  into 
the  cab,  and  presently  they  were  whirling  along 
southward.  There  was  a  period  of  silence. 
Then  Alcatrante  spoke  meditatively. 

"  You  see  how  it  happened,  I  suppose,"  he  said. 
"  Those  Japanese  were  waiting  outside  your  hotel. 
When  Poritol  and  I  came  out,  one  of  them  followed 
us,  while  the  other  remained  on  guard.  Then  you 
started  on  your  stroll,  and  the  man  who  remained 
on  guard  set  out  after  you." 

"  Yes,"  said  Orme,  "  but  I  don't  see  how  the 
fellow  could  have  known  who  I  was." 

Alcatrante  laughed.  "  Oh,  he  could  have 
placed  you  in  a  number  of  different  ways.  He  may 
have  got  your  description  from  one  of  the  serv 
ants — or  from  the  clerk.  But  it  is  enough  that 
he  did  know  you." 

"  Well,"  said  Orme,  "  this  is  beyond  me.  That 
five-dollar  bill  seems  to  be  very  much  desired  by 
different  groups  of  persons." 

Alcatrante  nodded.  "  I  am  not  sure,"  he  said 
slowly,  "  but  that  it  would  ease  young  Poritol's 
mind  if  you  would  place  the  bill  in  my  hands  for 
safekeeping.  Not  that  he  mistrusts  you,  Mr. 


THE    SHADOWS  51 

Orme,  but  he  imagines  that  you  may  not  realize 
how  important  it  is  to  him,  and  you  might  not 
guard  it  carefully." 

"  I  agreed  to  keep  it  until  to-morrow,"  said 
Orme,  quietly.  "  As  for  thieves,  my  apartment 
is  on  the  tenth  floor,  pretty  well  out  of  their 
reach.  The  only  danger  of  robbery  lies  between 
the  cab  and  the  hotel  office. 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  chuckled  Alcatrante.  "  It  is, 
of  course,  as  you  will.  I  was  merely  thinking  of 
my  young  friend's  peace  of  mind.  I  am  his  fel 
low-countryman,  you  see,  and  his  confidence  in 
me "  he  stopped,  with  another  chuckle.  "  Sin 
gular,  is  it  not,  how  impressionable  are  the 
young?  " 

Orme  said  nothing.  He  did  not  enjoy  this 
fencing. 

"  Look  at  the  lake,"  Alcatrante  suddenly  ex 
claimed.  "  How  beautiful  an  expanse  of  water. 
It  has  so  much  more  color  than  the  sea.  But  you 
should  see  our  wonderful  harbor  of  Rio,  MT. 
Orme.  Perhaps  some  day  I  shall  be  permitted  to 
show  you  its  magnificences." 

"  Who  knows  ?  "  said  Orme.  "  It  would  be  very 
pleasant." 


52         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  As  to  the  bill,"  continued  Alcatrante  quickly, 
"  do  you  care  to  give  it  to  me?  " 

Orme  felt  himself  frowning.  "  I  will  keep  it  till 
the  morning,"  he  said. 

"  Oh,  well,  it  is  of  no  consequence."  Alcatrante 
laughed  shortly.  "  See,  here  is  your  hotel.  Your 
company  has  been  a  pleasure  to  me,  Mr.  Orme. 
You  arrived  most  opportunely  in  the  park." 

Orme  jumped  to  the  curb  and,  turning,  shook 
the  hand  that  was  extended  to  him.  "  Thank  you 
for  the  lift,  Senhor  Alcatrante,"  he  said.  "  I  shall 
look  for  you  in  the  morning." 

"  In  the  morning — yes.  And  pray,  my  dear  sir, 
do  not  wander  in  the  streets  any  more  this  even 
ing.  Our  experience  in  the  park  has  made  me 
apprehensive."  The  minister  lifted  his  hat,  and 
the  cab  rattled  away. 

The  entrance  to  the  Pere  Marquette  was  a  mas 
sive  gateway,  which  opened  upon  a  wide  tunnel, 
leading  to  an  interior  court.  On  the  farther  side 
of  the  court  were  the  doors  of  the  hotel  lobby. 
As  a  rule,  carriages  drove  through  the  tunnel  into 
the  court,  but  Orme  had  not  waited  for  this  for 
mality. 

He  started  through  the  tunnel.     There  was  no 


THE    SHADOWS  53 

one  in  sight.  He  noted  the  elaborate  terra-cotta 
decorations  of  the  walls,  and  marveled  at  the  bad 
taste  which  had  lost  sight  of  this  opportunity  for 
artistic  simplicity.  But  through  the  opening  be 
fore  him  he  could  see  the  fountain  playing  in  the 
center  of  the  court.  The  central  figure  of  the 
group,  a  naiad,  beckoned  with  a  hand  from  which 
the  water  fell  in  a  shower.  The  effect  was  not 
so  unpleasing.  If  one  wished  to  be  rococo,  why  not 
be  altogether  so?  Like  the  South  Americans? 
Was  their  elaborate  ornamentation  plastered  on 
to  an  inner  steel  construction?  Orme  wondered. 

Midway  of  the  tunnel,  and  at  the  right  as  one 
entered,  was  a  door  leading  into  the  porter's  of 
fice.  This  door  was  shut,  but  as  Orme  approached 
it,  it  noiselessly  opened  out.  He  expected  to  see 
a  porter  appear,  and  when  no  person  stepped  over 
the  sill,  he  inferred  that  the  door  had  been  blown 
open  by  an  interior  draught. 

Just  as  he  was  turning  out  to  go  around  the 
the  door — which  shut  off  all  view  of  him  from  the 
inner  court — a  figure  shot  through  the  opening. 

Before  Orme  could  dodge,  he  was  seized  firmly 
by  the  shoulders  and  jerked  into  the  room,  with 
a  force  that  sent  him  staggering.  He  tripped 


54.         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

over  a  chair  and  went  to  the  floor,  but  quickly 

scrambled  to  his  feet  and  wheeled  about. 

Two  men  stood  between  him  and  the  door,  which 
had  been  closed  silently  and  swiftly.  They  were 
short  and  stockily  built.  Orme  exclaimed  aloud, 
for  the  light  that  filtered  through  a  window  from 
the  street  showed  two  faces  unmistakably  orien 
tal. 

If  this  was  an  ordinary  robbery,  the  daring 
of  the  robbers  was  almost  incredible.  They  ran 
the  risk  that  the  porter  would  return — if  they 
had  not  already  made  away  with  him.  Only  the 
most  desperate  purpose  could  explain  their  ac 
tion. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  demanded  Orme. 

"  Your  pocket-book,"  replied  one  of  the  men — 
"  queek !  "  He  smiled  an  elusive  smile  as  he  spoke. 

"  What  if  I  refuse?  "  said  Orme. 

"  Then  we  take.    Be  queek." 

A  call  for  help  would  hardly  bring  anyone ;  but 
Orme  gave  a  loud  cry,  more  to  disconcert  his 
enemies  than  with  any  hope  of  rescue. 

At  the  same  instant  he  rushed  toward  the  door, 
and  struck  out  at  the  nearer  Japanese. 

The  blow  did  not  land.     His  wrist  was  caught 


THE    SHADOWS  55 

in  a  grip  like  an  iron  clamp,  and  he  found  him 
self  performing  queer  gyrations.  The  Japanese 
had  turned  his  back  toward  Orme  and  swung  the 
imprisoned  arm  over  his  shoulder.  A  quick  lurch 
forward,  and  Orme  sailed  through  the  air,  coming 
down  heavily  on  his  side.  His  arm  was  still  held, 
and  in  a  few  seconds  he  was  on  his  back,  his  as 
sailant  astride  him  and  smiling  down  ir  to  his  face. 

Orme  struggled  to  free  himself,  an  1  promptly 
felt  a  breaking  strain  on  his  imprisone  '  arm.  The 
knee  of  the  Japanese  was  under  the  back  of  Orme's 
elbow.  A  moderate  use  of  the  leverage  thus  ob 
tained  would  snap  the  arm  like  a  pipe-stem.  This 
Orme  realized,  as  he  ceased  struggling.  The  strain 
on  his  arm  relaxed  slightly,  but  the  grip  was  main 
tained. 

"  Jiu-jitsu,"  explained  the  Japanese  in  a  tone 
that  sounded  gently  apologetic. 

The  other  robber  now  stooped  and  ran  his  hands 
over  Orme's  coat.  Finding  the  pocket-book,  he 
took  it  from  its  inside  pocket  and  went  swiftly  to  a 
table.  He  produced  from  his  own  pocket  a  little 
electric  hand-lamp,  by  the  light  of  which  he  took 
rapid  count  of  Orme's  money. 

His  eyes  glittered;  a  wide  scar  on  his  forehead 


56         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

stood  out  whitely.  Suddenly  he  gave  a  little  cry 
and  held  up  a  single  bill.  He  jabbered  excitedly  to 
his  companion  for  a  moment,  then  spoke  quietly 
to  Orme. 

"  This  all  we  want,"  he  said.  "  We  are  not 
thief,  see — I  put  other  five-dollar  bill  in  its  place 
and  leave  pocket-book  here." 

He  thrust  the  selected  bill  into  his  pocket,  put 
the  fresh  bill  in  the  pocket-book,  and  laid  the 
pocket-book  on  the  table. 

"  See  here,"  said  Orme,  still  prone,  "  what's 
the  meaning  of  all  this  ?  " 

"  Don't  say."  The  Japanese  smiled.  He  went 
over  to  the  door.  "  Come,"  he  said.  The  man 
astride  Orme  released  his  hold  and  sprang  to  his 
feet.  Like  a  flash,  both  the  Japanese  disap 
peared. 

Orme  jumped  up.  Seizing  his  pocket-book  and 
his  hat,  he  darted  after  his  assailants.  At  the 
street  entrance  to  the  tunnel,  he  looked  quickly  in 
both  directions,  but  his  men  were  not  in  sight. 

Pursuit  was  futile.  Slowly  he  turned  back.  He 
thought  of  notifying  the  police,  but,  after  all,  he 
was  none  the  worse  off — except  for  his  promise  to 
Poritol  and  Alcatrante,  now  involuntarily  broken. 


THE    SHADOWS  57 

He  must  explain  to  them  as  best  he  could.  The 
marked  bill  had  been  of  no  consequence  to  him 
except  as  a  focus  of  adventure.  And  he  had  had 
about  as  much  adventure  as  he  could  expect  for 
one  evening. 

But  the  secret  of  the  bill  still  tantalized  him. 
Blindfolded,  he  had  played  in  a  game  at  which 
the  others  saw.  It  seemed  unfair — as  if  he  had 
some  right  to  know  the  meaning  of  all  these  mys 
terious  incidents.  Why  had  Poritol  wanted  the 
bill  so  badly?  Why  had  the  desire  to  possess  it 
driven  the  two  Japanese  to  such  extreme  measures  ? 

Orme  crossed  the  court  and  entered  the  lobby. 
The  clerk  looked  at  him  curiously. 

"  Mr.  Orme,"  he  said,  "  there  is  a  young  lady 
in  the  reception-room,  waiting  to  see  you." 

"Me?"     Orme  looked  his  surprise. 

"  Yes,  sir.     She  gave  no  name." 

"  Has  she  been  waiting  long?  " 

"Nearly  an  hour." 

Without  further  questioning,  Orme  turned  to 
the  door  of  the  little  green-and-gold  room.  At  the 
threshold  he  paused  in  bewilderment.  Arising  to 
meet  him,  smiling  frankly,  was  the  girl  of  the 
car. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  GIRL  OF  THE  CAR 

"  OH,"  she  said,  with  a  little  gasp  of  recognition, 
"  are  you  Mr.  Orme  ?  "    Her  cheeks  flushed  softly. 

He  bowed ;  his  heart  was  beating  furiously,  and 
for  the  moment  he  dared  not  try  to  speak. 

"  Then  we  do  meet  again,"  she  exclaimed — "  and 
as  usual  I  need  your  help.  Isn't  it  queer  ?  " 

"  Any  service  that  I " — Orme  began  halt 
ingly — "  of  course,  anything  that  I  can  do " 

The  girl  laughed — a  merry  ripple  of  sound ;  then 
caught  herself  and  changed  her  manner  to  grave 
earnestness.  "  It  is  very  important,"  she  said. 
"  I  am  looking  for  a  five-dollar  bill  that  was  paid 
to  you  to-day." 

Orme  started.     "What?     You,  too?" 

"I,  too?     Has — has  anybody  else ?"   Her 

gravity  was  more  intense. 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Orme — "  a  little  man  from 
South  America." 

"  Oh, — Mr.  Poritol?  "  Her  brows  were  knit  in 
an  adorable  frown. 

58 


THE    GIRL    OF    THE    CAR  59 

"  Yes — and  two  Japanese." 

"  Oh !  "     Her  exclamation  was  apprehensive. 

"  The  Japanese  got  it,"  added  Orme,  ruefully. 
That  she  had  the  right  to  this  information  it 
never  occurred  to  him  to  question. 

The  girl  stood  rigidly.  "  Whatever  shall  I  do 
now?  "  she  whispered.  "  My  poor  father!  " 

She  looked  helplessly  at  Orme.  His  self-posses 
sion  had  returned,  and  as  he  urged  her  to  a  chair, 
he  condemned  himself  for  not  guessing  how  serious 
the  loss  of  the  bill  must  be  to  her.  "  Sit  down,"  he 
said.  "  Perhaps  I  can  help.  But  you  see,  I  know 
so  little  of  what  it  all  means.  Tell  me  everything 
you  can." 

With  a  sigh,  she  sank  into  the  chair.  Orme 
stood  before  her,  waiting. 

"  That  bill  tells,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,"  she 
said,  wearily,  "  where  certain  papers  have  been 
hidden.  My  father  is  ill  at  our  place  in  the  coun 
try.  He  must  have  those  papers  before  midnight 

to-morrow,  or "  Tears  came  into  her  eyes. 

Orme  would  have  given  much  for  the  right  to  com 
fort  her.  "  So  much  depends  upon  finding  them," 
she  added — "  more  even  than  I  can  begin  to  tell 
you." 


60         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Let  me  help,"  said  Orme,  eager  to  follow 
those  papers  all  over  Chicago,  if  only  it  would 
serve  her.  "  Hear  my  story  first."  Rapidly  he 
recounted  the  adventures  of  the  evening.  She  lis 
tened,  eyes  intent,  nodding  in  recognition  of  his 
description  of  Poritol  and  Alcatrante.  When  he 
came  to  the  account  of  the  fight  in  the  porter's  of 
fice  and  spoke  of  the  Japanese  with  the  scar  on 
his  forehead,  she  interrupted. 

"  Oh !     That  was  Maku,"  she  exclaimed. 

"Maku?" 

"  Our  butler.  He  must  have  overheard  my 
father  and  me." 

"  Then  he  knew  the  value  of  the  papers." 

"  He  must  have.  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Orme,  that 
you  have  been  so  roughly  used." 

"  That  doesn't  matter,"  he  said.  "  They  didn't 
hurt  me  in  the  least.  And  now,  what  is  your 
story?  How  did  you  get  on  the  trail  of  the 
bill?  " 

"  We  came  back  from  the  East  a  few  days  ago," 
she  began.  "  My  father  had  to  undergo  a  slight 
operation,  and  he  wished  to  have  it  performed  by 
his  friend,  Dr.  Allison,  who  lives  here,  so  we  went 
to  our  home  in — one  of  the  northern  suburbs. 


THE    GIRL    OF    THE    CAR  61 

"  Father  could  not  go  back  East  as  soon  as  he 
had  expected  to,  and  he  had  the  papers  sent  to 
him,  by  special  arrangement  with  the — with  the 
other  parties  to  the  contract.  Mr.  Poritol  fol 
lowed  us  from  the  East.  I — we  had  known  him 
there.  He  was  always  amusing  company ;  we  never 
took  him  seriously.  He  had  business  here,  he  said ; 
but  on  the  first  day  of  his  arrival  he  came  out  to 
call  on  us.  The  next  night  our  house  was  entered 
by  a  burglar.  Besides  the  papers,  only  a  few 
things  were  taken." 

"  Poritol?  "  exclaimed  Orme,  incredulously. 

"  It  happened  that  a  Chicago  detective  had  been 
in  our  village  on  business  during  the  day,"  she 
went  on.  "  He  had  recognized  on  the  streets  a  well- 
known  thief,  named  Walsh.  When  we  reported 
the  burglary  the  detective  remembered  seeing 
Walsh,  and  hunted  him  out  and  arrested  him.  In 
his  pockets  was  some  jewelry  belonging  to  me,  and 
in  his  room  the  other  stolen  articles  were  found 
— everything  except  the  papers." 

"  Did  you  tell  the  police  about  the  papers?  " 

"  No,  it  seemed  wiser  not  to.  They  were  in  a 
sealed  envelope  with — with  my  father's  name  on  it, 
and  would  surely  have  been  returned,  if  found  with 


62         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

the  other  things.  There  are  reasons  why  they 
would  have — would  try  to  please  my  father.  We 
did  let  them  know  that  an  envelope  containing 
something  of  value  had  not  been  recovered,  and 
told  them  to  make  a  thorough  search. 

"  The  afternoon  after  the  burglary  the  news  of 
Walsh's  arrest  was  telephoned  out  to  us  from 
Chicago.  I  talked  with  my  father,  who  was  not 
well  enough  to  leave  the  house,  and  it  seemed  best 
that  someone  should  go  to  the  county  jail  and  see 
Walsh  and  try  to  get  the  papers.  My  father  had 
reasons  for  not  wishing  the  loss  to  become  known. 
Only  he  and  I  were  acquainted  with  the  contents 
of  the  envelope ;  so  I  insisted  on  going  to  Chicago 
and  interviewing  the  burglar." 

She  laughed,  intercepting  Orme's  admiring  look. 
"  Oh,  it  was  easy  enough.  I  planned  to  take  our 
lawyer  as  an  escort." 

"Did  you?" 

"  No,  and  that  is  where  my  troubles  really  be 
gan.  Just  as  I  was  preparing  to  go,  Mr.  Poritol 
called.  I  had  forgotten  that  we  had  asked  him 
out  for  an  afternoon  of  golf.  He  Is  such  a  funny 
player. 

"  As  soon  as  I  told  him  I  was  going  to  the  Chi- 


THE    GIRL    OF    THE    CAR  63 

cago  jail  to  interview  a  burglar  about  some  stolen 
goods,  he  insisted  on  acting  as  escort.  He  was  so 
amusingly  persistent  that  I  finally  agreed.  We  set 
out  for  the  city  in  my  car,  not  waiting  to  take 
a  train. 

"  When  we  reached  the  jail  I  presented  a  letter 
which  my  father  had  written,  and  the  officials 
agreed  to  let  me  have  a  private  interview  with 
Walsh." 

Orme  opened  his  eyes.  This  girl's  father  must 
have  considerable  influence. 

"  It  is  a  horrid  place,  the  jail.  They  took  us 
through  a  corridor  to  Walsh's  cell,  and  called  him 
to  the  grating.  I  made  Mr.  Poritol  stand  back 
at  the  other  side  of  the  corridor  so  that  he  couldn't 
hear  us  talk. 

"  I  asked  the  man  what  he  had  done  with  the 
papers.  He  insisted  that  he  had  seen  none.  Then 
I  promised  to  have  him  freed,  if  he  would  only 
return  them.  He  looked  meditatively  over  my 
shoulders  and  after  a  moment  declined  the  offer, 
again  insisting  that  he  didn't  understand  what  I 
was  talking  about.  '  I  took  the  other  things,  miss,' 
he  said,  *  and  I  suppose  I'll  get  time  for  it.  But 
so  help  me,  I  didn't  see  no  papers.'  " 


64         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

The  girl  paused  and  looked  at  Orme.  "  This 
seems  like  wasting  minutes  when  we  might  be 
searching." 

Orme  was  pleased  to  hear  the  "  we." 

"  Well,"  she  went  on,  "  I  knew  that  the  man  was 
not  telling  the  truth.  He  was  too  hesitant  to  be 
convincing.  So  I  began  to  promise  him  money. 
At  every  offer  he  looked  past  my  shoulder  and 
then  repeated  his  denials.  The  last  time  he  raised 
his  eyes  I  had  an  intuition  that  something  was  go 
ing  on  behind  me.  I  turned  quickly.  There  stood 
Mr.  Poritol,  extending  his  fingers  in  the  air  and 
forming  his  mouth  silently  into  words.  He  was 
raising  my  bids ! 

"It  flashed  upon  me  that  the  papers  would  be 
of  immense  value  to  Mr.  Poritol — for  certain  rea 
sons.  If  only  I  had  thought  of  it  before !  I  spoke 
to  him  sharply  and  told  him  to  go  outside.  It 
always  seemed  natural  to  order  him  about,  like  a 
little  dog." 

"  However,  little  dogs  have  the  sharpest  teeth," 
remarked  Orme. 

"  That  is  true.  He  replied  that  he  couldn't 
think  of  leaving  me  alone  in  such  a  place.  So 
there  was  nothing  for  me  to  do  except  to  go.  I 


THE    GIRL    OF   THE    CAR  65 

would  have  to  return  later  without  Mr.  Poritol. 
4  Come  along,'  I  said.  *  My  errand  is  done.' 

"  Mr.  Poritol  smiled  at  me  in  a  way  I  didn't 
like.  The  burglar,  meantime,  had  gone  to  a  little 
table  at  the  back  of  his  cell.  There  was  an  ink- 
bottle  there  and  he  seemed  to  be  writing.  Looking 
into  the  cell,  Mr.  Poritol  said:  '  The  poor  fellow 
has  very  unpleasant  quarters.'  Then  he  said  to 
Walsh :  '  Can't  we  do  something  to  make  your 
enforced  stay  here  more  comfortable,  my  very  dear 
sir?'" 

Orme  smiled  at  the  unconscious  mimicry  of  her 
accent. 

"  Walsh  came  back  to  the  grating.  He  held 
in  his  hand  a  five-dollar  bill — the  one  that  has 
made  so  much  trouble.  It  had  been  smuggled  in 
to  him  in  some  way.  *  You  might  get  me  some 
"  baccy,"  '  he  said,  thrusting  the  bill  through  the 
bars  and  grinning. 

"  Now  I  understood  what  was  going  on.  I 
reached  for  the  bill,  as  though  it  were  intended 
for  me,  but  Mr.  Poritol  was  quicker.  He  snatched 
the  bill  and  put  it  in  his  pocket. 

"  I  didn't  know  what  to  do.  But  suddenly  Mr. 
Poritol  seemed  to  be  frightened.  Perhaps  he 


66         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

thought  that  I  would  have  him  arrested,  though 
he  might  have  known  that  there  were  reasons  why 
I  couldn't.  He  gave  me  a  panicky  look  and  rushed 
out  of  the  corridor.  Afterward  I  learned  that  he 
told  the  guard  I  had  sent  him  on  an  errand. 

"  Well  " — she  sighed — "  of  course,  I  followed, 
after  a  last  glance  at  Walsh,  who  was  peering 
through  the  grating  with  a  look  of  evil  amuse 
ment.  He  must  have  been  well  paid,  that  burglar. 
But  then,"  she  mused,  "  they  could  afford  it — yes, 
they  could  well  afford  it. 

"  When  I  got  to  the  street,  Poritol  was  just 
disappearing  in  my  car!  I  can  only  think  that 
he  had  lost  his  head  very  completely,  for  he  didn't 
need  to  take  the  car.  He  could  have  mixed  with 
the  street-crowd  and  gone  a-foot  to  the  hotel 
where " 

"  Alcatrante?" 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Alcatrante — where  he  was  stopping, 
and  have  waited  there.  But  Mr.  Alcatrante  was 
playing  golf  at  Wheaton,  and  Mr.  Poritol  seems 
to  have  thought  that  he  must  go  straight  to  him. 
He  cannot  escape  from  being  spectacular,  you 
see. 

"  He  ran  out  through  the  western  suburbs,  put- 


THE    GIRL    OF   THE    CAR  67 

ting  on  more  and  more  speed.  Meantime  I  set  a 
detective  on  the  track  of  the  car.  That  is  how 
I  learned  what  I  am  now  telling  you.  As  for  the 
car,  Mr.  Poritol  sent  it  back  to  me  this  morning 
with  a  hired  chauffeur.  He  wrote  a  note  of  abject 
apology,  saying  that  he  had  been  beside  himself 
and  had  not  realized  what  he  was  doing. 

"  After  setting  the  detective  at  work,  I  went  out 
to  our  place  by  train.  I  dreaded  confessing  my 
failure  to  father,  but  he  took  it  very  well.  We 
had  dinner  together  in  his  study.  Maku  was  in 
the  room  while  we  were  talking.  Now  I  can  see  why 
Maku  disappeared  after  dinner  and  did  not  re 
turn." 

"  But  how  did  Poritol  lose  the  bill?  "  asked 
Orme. 

The  girl  laughed.  "  It  was  really  ridiculous. 
He  over-speeded  and  was  caught  by  one  of  those 
roadside  motor-car  traps,  ten  or  twelve  miles  out 
in  the  country.  They  timed  him,  and  stopped  him 
by  a  bar  across  the  road.  From  what  the  de 
tective  says,  I  judge  he  was  frightened  almost 
to  speechlessness.  He  may  have  thought  that  he 
was  being  arrested  for  stealing  the  car.  When 
they  dragged  him  before  the  country  justice,  who 


68         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

was  sitting  under  a  tree  near  by,  he  was  white  and 
trembling. 

"  They  fined  him  ten  dollars.  He  had  in  his 
pocket  only  eleven  dollars  and  sixty-three  cents, 
and  the  marked  bill  was  nearly  half  of  the  sum. 
He  begged  them  to  let  him  go — offered  them  his 
watch,  his  ring,  his  scarf-pin — but  the  justice  in 
sisted  on  cash.  Then  he  told  them  that  the  bill 
had  a  formula  on  it  that  was  valuable  to  him  and 
no  one  else. 

"  The  justice  was  obdurate,  and  Mr.  Poritol 
finally  hit  on  the  device  which  you  have  seen.  It 
fitted  in  well  with  his  sense  of  the  theatrical ;  and 
the  detective  says  that  there  was  not  a  scrap  of 
paper  at  hand.  The  point  was  that  Mr.  Poritol 
was  more  afraid  of  delay  than  anything  else.  He 
knew  that  I  would  put  someone  on  his  track." 

"  When  did  all  this  happen  ?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  Yesterday  afternoon.  Mr.  Poritol  came  back 
to  Chicago  by  trolley  and  got  some  money.  He 
went  back  to  the  country  justice  and  discovered 
that  the  marked  bill  had  been  paid  out.  He  has 
followed  it  through  several  persons  to  you,  just 
as  Maku  did,  and  as  I  have  done.  But  I  heard 
nothing  of  the  Japanese." 


THE    GIRL    OF   THE    CAR  69 

"  You  shouldn't  have  attempted  this  alone," 
said  Orme,  solicitously. 

She  smiled  faintly.  "  I  dared  not  let  anyone 
into  the  secret.  I  was  afraid  that  a  detective 
might  learn  too  much."  She  sighed  wearily.  "  I 
have  been  on  the  trail  since  morning." 

"  And  how  did  you  finally  get  my  address  ?  " 

"  The  man  who  paid  the  bill  in  at  the  hat-shop 
lives  in  Hyde  Park.  I  did  not  get  to  him  until 
this  evening,  while  he  was  at  dinner.  He  directed 
me  to  the  hat-shop,  which,  of  course,  was  closed. 
I  found  the  address  of  the  owner  of  the  shop  in 
the  directory  and  went  to  his  house.  He  remem 
bered  the  bill,  and  gave  me  the  addresses  of  his  two 
clerks.  The  second  clerk  I  saw  proved  to  be  the 
one  who  had  paid  the  bill  to  you.  Luckily  he  re 
membered  your  address." 

Orme  stirred  himself.  "  Then  the  Japanese  have 
the  directions  for  finding  the  papers." 

"  My  predicament,"  said  the  girl,  "  is  compli 
cated  by  the  question  whether  the  bill  does  actually 
carry  definite  directions." 

"  It  carries  something — a  set  of  abbreviations," 
said  Orme.  "  But  I  could  not  make  them  out. 
Let  us  hope  that  the  Japanese  can't.  The  best 


70         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

course  for  us  to  take  is  to  go  at  once  to  see  Walsh, 
the  burglar." 

He  assumed  that  she  would  accept  his  aid. 

"  That  is  good  of  you,"  she  said.  "  But  it  seems 
a  little  hopeless,  doesn't  it?  " 

"  Why  ?  What  else  can  we  do  ?  I  suppose  you 
saw  to  it  that  no  one  else  should  have  access  to 
Walsh." 

"  Yes,  father  arranged  that  by  telephone.  The 
man  is  in  solitary  confinement.  Several  persons 
tried  to  see  him  to-day,  on  the  plea  of  being  rela 
tives.  None  of  them  was  admitted." 

What  money-king  was  this  girl's  father,  that  he 
could  thus  regulate  the  treatment  of  prisoners  ? 

"  So  there  were  abbreviations  on  the  bill?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Yes.  They  weren't  very  elaborate,  and  I  puz 
zled  over  them  for  some  time.  The  curious  fact  is 
that,  for  all  my  study  of  them,  I  can't  remember 
much  of  anything  about  them.  What  I  have  since 
been  through,  apparently,  has  driven  the  letters 
out  of  my  head." 

"  Oh,  do  try  to  remember,"  she  implored.  "  Even 
if  you  recall  only  one  or  two  bits  of  it,  they  may 
help  me." 


THE    GIRL    OF   THE    CAR  71 

"  There  was  something  about  a  man  named 
Evans,"  he  began.  "  S.  R.  Evans,  it  was." 

"Evans?  That  is  strange.  I  can't  think  how 
anyone  of  that  name  could  be  involved." 

"  Then  S.  R.  Evans  is  not  your  father  ?  "  he  ven 
tured. 

"  Oh,  no."  She  laughed  a  light  little  laugh. 
"  My  father  is — but  are  you  sure  that  the  name 
was  Evans  ?  " 

"  Quite  sure  Then  there  was  the  abbreviation 
'  Chi.' — which  I  took  to  mean  '  Chicago.'  " 

"Yes?  "she  breathed. 

"  And  there  were  numerals — a  number,  then  the 
letter  'N.';  another  number,  followed  by  the  let 
ter  '  E.'  So  far  north,  so  far  east,  I  read  it — 
though  I  couldn't  make  out  whether  the  numbers 
stood  for  feet  or  paces  or  miles." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  she  whispered.  Her  eyes  were  in 
tent  on  his.  They  seemed  to  will  him  to  remem 
ber.  "  What  else  was  there  ?  " 

"  Odd  letters,  which  meant  nothing  to  me.  It's 
annoying,  but  I  simply  can't  recall  them.  Believe 
me,  I  should  like  to." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  a  little  later,"  she  said.  "  I'm 
sorry  to  be  such  a  bother  to  you." 


72        THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"Bother!" 

"  But  it  does  mean  so  much,  the  tracing  of  this 
bill." 

"  Shall  we  go  to  see  Walsh  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  suppose  so."  She  sighed.  Apparently  she 
was  discouraged.  "  But  even  if  he  gives  the  in 
formation,  it  may  be  too  late.  The  Japanese  have 
the  directions." 

"  But  perhaps  they  will  not  be  able  to  make 
them  out,"  he  suggested. 

She  smiled.  "  You  don't  know  the  Japanese," 
she  said.  "  They  are  abominably  clever  at  such 
things.  I  will  venture  that  they  are  already  on 
their  way  to  the  hiding-place." 

"  But  even  if  the  papers  are  in  the  pocket  of 
one  of  them,  it  may  be  possible  to  steal  them 
back." 

"  Hardly."  She  arose.  "  I  fear  that  the  one 
chance  is  the  mere  possibility  that  Maku  couldn't 
read  the  directions.  Then,  if  Walsh  will  speak 
out " 

"  Now,  let  me  say  something,"  he  said.  "  My 
name  is  Robert  Orme.  Apparently  we  have  com 
mon  friends  in  the  Wallinghams.  When  I  first 
saw  you  this  afternoon,  I  felt  that  I  might  have 


THE    GIRL    OF   THE    CAR  78 

a  right  to  your  acquaintance — a  social  right,  if 
you  like;  a  sympathetic  right,  I  trust." 

He  held  out  his  hand.  She  took  it  frankly,  and 
the  friendly  pressure  of  her  fine,  firm  palm  sent 
the  blood  tingling  through  him. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  she  said,  "  that  I  can't  give  you 
my  name.  It  would  be  unfair  just  now — unfair  to 
others ;  for  if  you  knew  who  I  am,  it  might  give 
you  a  clue  to  the  secret  I  guard." 

"  Some  day,  I  hope,  I  may  know,"  he  said 
gravely.  "  But  your  present  wish  is  my  law.  It 
is  good  of  you  to  let  me  try  to  help  you." 

At  the  same  instant  they  became  conscious  that 
their  hands  were  still  clasped.  The  girl  blushed, 
and  gently  drew  hers  away. 

"  I  shall  call  you  Girl,"  Orme  added. 

"  A  name  I  like,"  she  said.  "  My  father  uses 
it.  Oh,  if  I  only  knew  what  that  burglar  wrote 
on  the  bill!" 

Orme  started.  What  a  fool  he  had  been  !  Here 
he  was,  trying  to  help  the  girl,  forcing  her  to 
the  long,  tired  recital  of  her  story,  when  all  the 
time  he  held  her  secret  in  the  table  in  his  sitting- 
room.  For  there  was  still  the  paper  on  which  he 
had  copied  the  abbreviated  directions. 


74         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Wait  here,"  he  said  sharply,  and  without  an 
swering  the  look  of  surprise  on  her  face,  hurried 
from  the  room  and  to  the  elevator.  A  few  mo 
ments  later  he  was  back,  the  sheet  of  paper  in  his 
hand. 

"  I  can't  forgive  my  own  stupidity,"  he  said. 
**  While  I  was  puzzling  over  the  bill  this  evening 
I  copied  the  secret  on  a  sheet  of  paper.  When 
Poritol  came  I  put  it  away  in  a  drawer  and  forgot 
all  about  it.  But  here  it  is."  He  laid  the  paper 
on  the  little,  useless  onyx  table  that  stood  beside 
her  chair. 

She  snatched  it  quickly  and  began  to  examine  it 
closely. 

"  Perhaps  you  can  imagine  how  those  letters 
puzzled  me,"  he  volunteered. 

"  Hush !  "  she  exclaimed ;  and  then :  "  Oh,  this  is 
plain.  You  wouldn't  know,  of  course,  but  I  see  it 
clearly.  There  is  no  time  to  lose." 

"  You  are  going  to  follow  this  clue  now — to 
night?  " 

"  Maku  will  read  it  on  the  bill,  and — oh,  these 
Japanese!  If  you  have  one  in  your  kitchen,  you 
never  know  whether  he's  a  jinriksha  man,  a  college 
student,  or  a  vice-admiral." 

"You  will  let  me  go  with  you?"   Orme  was 


'  'Perhaps   you  can  imagine  how   those  letters  puzzled 
me,'   he   volunteered" 


THE    GIRL    OF   THE    CAR  75 

trembling  for  the  answer.  He  was  still  in  the 
dark,  and  did  not  know  how  far  she  would  feel 
that  she  could  accept  his  aid. 

"  I  may  need  you,  Mr.  Orme,"  she  said  simply. 

It  pleased  him  that  she  brought  up  no  question 
of  possible  inconvenience  to  him.  With  her,  he 
realized,  only  direct  relations  were  possible. 

"How  much  of  a  journey  is  it?"  he  ventured 
to  ask. 

"  Not  very  long.  I  intend  to  be  mysterious 
about  it."  She  smiled  brightly.  Her  face  had 
lighted  up  wonderfully  since  he  gave  her  the 
paper  that  contained  the  secret  of  the  bill. 

But  he  knew  that  she  must  be  tired ;  so  he  said : 
"  Can't  you  send  me  alone  on  this  errand?  It  may 
be  late  before  it  is  done,  and 

"  And  I  will  not  sit  and  rest  while  you  do  all 
the  work.  Besides,  I  cannot  forego  the  excite 
ment  of  the  chase." 

He  was  selfishly  glad  in  her  answer.  "  Do  we 
walk?  "  he  asked. 

"  We  will  go  in  the  motor,"  she  said. 

"Where  is  it?" 

"  I  left  it  around  the  corner.  The  thought 
came  to  me  that  Mr.  Poritol  might  be  here,  and 
I  didn't  wish  him  to  recognize  it." 


76        THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

Orme  thought  of  the  hard  quest  the  girl  had 
followed  that  day — battling  for  her  father's  in 
terests.  What  kind  of  a  man  could  that  father 
be  to  let  his  daughter  thus  go  into  difficulties 
alone?  But  she  had  said  that  her  father  was  un 
able  to  leave  the  house.  Probably  he  did  not  know 
how  serious  the  adventure  might  be.  Or  was  the 
loss  of  the  papers  so  desperate  that  even  a  daugh 
ter  must  run  risks  ? 

Together  they  went  out  to  the  street.  Orme 
caught  a  dubious  glance  from  the  clerk,  as  they 
passed  through  the  lobby,  and  he  resented  it. 
Surely  anyone  could  see 

The  girl  led  the  way  around  the  corner  into  a 
side  street.  There  stood  the  car.  He  helped  her 
in  and  without  a  word  saw  that  she  was  restfully 
and  comfortably  placed  in  the  seat  next  to  the 
chauffeur's.  She  did  not  resist  the  implication  of 
his  mastery. 

He  cranked  up,  leaped  to  the  seat  beside  her, 
and  took  the  levers.  "  Which  way,  Girl?  "  he  asked. 

"  North,"  she  answered. 

The  big  car  swung  out  in  the  Lake  Shore  Drive 
and  turned  in  the  direction  of  Lincoln  Park. 


CHAPTER   V 

"  EVANS,   S.    R." 

THE  car  ran  silently  through  the  Park  and  out 
on  the  broad  Sheridan  Road.  Orme  put  on  as 
much  speed  as  was  safe  in  a  district  where  there 
were  so  many  police.  From  time  to  time  the  girl 
indicated  the  direction  with  a  word  or  two.  She 
seemed  to  be  using  the  opportunity  to  rest,  for  her 
attitude  was  relaxed. 

The  hour  was  about  eleven,  and  the  streets  were 
as  yet  by  no  means  deserted.  As  they  swung 
along  Orme  was  pleased  by  the  transition  from 
the  ugliness  of  central  Chicago  to  the  beauty 
of  suburbs — doubly  beautiful  by  night.  The  great 
highway  followed  the  lake,  and  occasionally,  above 
the  muffled  hum  of  the  motor,  Orme  could  hear 
the  lapping  of  the  wavelets  on  the  beach. 

The  girl  roused  herself.  Her  bearing  was  again 
confident  and  untired.  "  Have  you  been  up  this 
way  before  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  Girl." 

"  This  is  Buena  Park  we  are  passing  now.    We 

shall  soon  reach  the  city  limits." 

77 


78         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Clouds  had  been  gathering,  and  suddenly  rain 
drops  began  to  strike  their  faces.  The  girl  drew 
her  cloak  more  closely  about  her.  Orme  looked 
to  see  that  she  was  protected,  and  she  smiled  back 
with  a  brave  attempt  at  cheerful  comradeship. 
"  Don't  worry  about  me,"  she  said.  "  I'm  quite 
dry."  With  that  she  leaned  back  and  drew  from 
the  tonneau  a  light  robe,  which  she  threw  about  his 
shoulders. 

The  act  was  an  act  of  partnership  merely,  but 
Orme  let  himself  imagine  an  evidence  of  solicitude 
in  her  thoughtfulness.  And  then  he  demanded  of 
himself  almost  angrily :  "  What  right  have  I  to 
think  such  thoughts?  She  has  known  me  only  an 
hour." 

But  to  him  that  hour  was  as  a  year,  so  rich 
was  its  experience.  He  found  himself  recalling 
her  every  change  of  expression,  her  every  charac 
teristic  gesture.  "  She  has  accepted  me  as  a 
friend,"  he  thought,  warmly.  But  the  joy  of  the 
thought  was  modified  by  the  unwelcome  reflection 
that  the  girl  had  had  no  choice.  Still,  he  knew 
that,  at  least,  she  trusted  him,  or  she  would  never 
have  let  him  accompany  her,  even  though  she  se 
riously  needed  protection. 


"EVANS,   S.    R."  79 

They  were  passing  a  great  cemetery.  The 
shower  had  quickly  ended.  The  white  stones  and 
monuments  fled  by  the  car  like  dim  and  frightened 
ghosts.  And  now  the  car  swung  along  with  fine 
houses,  set  back  in  roomy  grounds,  at  the  left, 
the  lake  at  the  right. 

"Do  you  know  this  city?"  the  girl  asked. 

"  I  think  not.  Have  we  passed  the  Chicago 
limits?" 

"  Yes.     We  are  in  Evanston." 

"  Evanston  !  "    Orme  had  a  glimmer. 

The  girl  turned  and  smiled  at  him.  "  Evanston 
— Sheridan  Road." 

"  Evans, — S.  R. !  "  exclaimed  Orme. 

She  laughed  a  low  laugh.  "  Ah,  Monsieur  Du- 
pin  !  "  she  said. 

Speeding  along  the  lake  front,  the  road  turned 
suddenly  to  the  left  and  west,  skirting  a  large 
grove  of  trees  which  hugged  the  shore.  Just  at 
the  turn  was  a  low  brick  building  on  the  beach. 
"  The  life-saving  station,"  explained  the  girl ; 
"  and  these  are  the  grounds  of  the  university.  The 
road  goes  around  the  campus,  and  strikes  the  lake 
again  a  mile  or  more  farther  north." 

Large  buildings  were  at  their  right  after  they 


80         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

turned.  Orme  noted  that  they  were  scattered 
among  the  trees — some  near  the  street,  some  at  a 
distance  back.  Then  the  road  again  turned  to  the 
north,  at  a  point  where  less  imposing  streets  broke 
in  from  the  west  and  south. 

"  Stop  at  this  corner,"  said  the  girl. 

Orme  threw  on  the  brakes. 

"  We  are  in  Evanston,  on  the  Sheridan  Road," 
she  said,  "  and  this  street  cutting  in  from  the 
south  is  Chicago  Avenue." 

"  *  Chi.  A.' !  "  exclaimed  Orme. 

She  had  taken  the  paper  from  the  pocket  of 
her  coat,  and  was  scanning  it  closely.  "  One  hun 
dred  paces  north  and  two  hundred  and  ten  east. 
4  T.'  must  mean  *  tree.'  " 

Orme  jumped  to  the  ground.  He  noticed  that 
the  university  grounds  were  cut  off  from  the  street 
by  an  iron  fence.  There  was  a  gate  at  the  corner 
by  which  they  had  stopped.  The  gate  was  not 
closed.  If  it  were  customary  to  shut  it  at  night, 
there  had  been  some  neglect  on  this  particular 
evening. 

"  You'd  better  go  in  through  the  gate,"  said 
the  girl,  "  and  follow  the  west  fence  northward  for 
one  hundred  paces.  Then  turn  east,  at  right  an- 


"EVANS,    S.    R."  81 

gles  and  go  two  hundred  and  ten  paces — I  sup 
pose  it  must  be  paces,  not  feet." 

"  Yes,"  said  Orme.  "  That  would  be  the  natural 
way  for  a  burglar  in  a  hurry  to  measure." 

"  I  will  move  the  car  north  on  Sheridan  Road 
a  little  way,"  she  went  on,  "  so  as  not  to  be  in  the 
glare  of  this  street  light." 

This  was  the  first  evidence  she  had  shown  of 
nervousness,  and  Orme  suddenly  realized  that  ene 
mies  might  be  lurking  among  the  trees. 

"  It  might  be  well  for  you  to  take  the  electric 
hand-lamp,"  she  added.  "  It's  in  the  kit-box,  I 
think." 

He  looked  in  the  kit-box,  but  the  lamp  was  not 
there.  He  told  her  so. 

"  Maku  may  have  stolen  it,"  she  said. 

Orme  slipped  a  heavy  wrench  into  his  pocket 
and  closed  the  kit-box.  With  the  girl,  he  avoided 
any  reference  to  the  possible  presence  of  the 
Japanese  among  the  trees,  but  knowing  that 
he  was  no  match  for  them  unarmed,  with  their 
skill  in  jiu-jitsu,  he  resolved  to  be  in  some  measure 
prepared. 

He  walked  through  the  gate  and  began  to  pace 
northward,  keeping  close  to  the  fence  and  counting 


82         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

his  steps.  Meantime  the  car  followed  his  course, 
moving  along  the  side  of  the  road  just  west  of 
the  fence.  Orme  counted  his  hundred  paces  north, 
then  turned  east. 

He  saw  that  the  two  hundred  and  ten  paces 
which  he  now  had  to  take  would  carry  him  well 
over  toward  the  lake.  The  girl  evidently  had  not 
realized  how  great  the  distance  would  be.  She 
would  be  nearer  him,  if  she  turned  back  to  the 
corner  and  followed  the  Sheridan  Road  eastward 
toward  the  life-saving  station,  but  Orme  did  not 
suggest  this  to  her,  though  the  car  was  within 
twenty  feet  of  him,  the  other  side  of  the  fence.  If 
there  should  be  a  struggle,  it  would  please  him 
just  as  well  that  she  should  be  out  of  hearing, 
for  her  anxiety,  he  knew,  was  already  great, 
though  she  kept  it  closely  under  control. 

Eastward  he  went  through  the  trees.  When  he 
had  covered  about  half  the  distance  he  found  him 
self  approaching  the  side  of  a  large  building. 
There  must  be  some  mistake.  Had  he  deviated  so 
widely  from  the  course?  In  leaving  the  fence  he 
had  taken  sights  as  carefully  as  he  could. 

Then  the  explanation  struck  him.  Walsh,  the 
burglar,  had  probably  paced  in  eastward  from  the 


"EVANS,  S.  R."  83 

fence  and  come  to  the  building  just  as  he  had. 
There  was  no  good  hiding-place  apparent  near  at 
hand,  and  Walsh  would  hardly  have  retraced  his 
steps.  What,  then,  would  he  have  done?  Orme 
asked  himself.  Why,  he  would  have  turned  north 
or  south. 

Orme  looked  in  both  directions.  North  and 
south  of  the  building  were  open  driveways.  Walsh 
must  have  gone  around  the  building,  then  con 
tinued  eastward.  This  is  what  Orme  now  pro 
ceeded  to  do. 

Remembering  the  number  of  paces  to  the  side 
of  the  building,  he  chose  the  northward  course, 
because  there  was  less  light  north  of  the  building. 
He  hugged  the  side  of  the  building,  counting  his 
steps,  and,  after  reaching  the  corner,  turned  east 
ward.  He  now  counted  his  paces  along  the  north 
ern  side  of  the  building. 

When  he  reached  the  corner  of  the  eastern  side 
of  the  building,  he  paced  as  far  southward  on  the 
eastern  side  as  he  had  gone  northward  on  the 
western  side,  and  on  reaching  a  point  due  east  of 
the  place  at  which  he  had  originally  come  to  the 
building,  he  added  the  number  of  paces  from  the 
fence  to  the  building  to  the  number  of  paces  he 


84         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

had  taken  along  the  northern  side  of  the  building, 
and  continued  eastward  toward  the  lake. 

At  the  two  hundredth  pace  he  stopped  to  re- 
connoiter.  Not  more  than  two  hundred  feet  ahead 
of  him  he  could  see  dimly,  through  the  tree  trunks, 
the  expanse  of  the  lake.  There  was  no  sound,  no 
evidence  that  any  other  person  was  near. 

He  proceeded  cautiously  for  ten  paces.  Many 
trees  were  near  him.  He  would  have  to  examine 
all  of  them,  for  it  was  hardly  possible  that  he  had 
followed  Walsh's  course  with  unerring  exactness. 
If  the  tree  was  within  twenty  feet  of  him  north  or 
south,  that  was  as  much  as  he  could  expect. 

One  thing  was  clear  to  him.  Walsh  had  prob 
ably  chosen  a  tree  that  could  easily  be  distinguished 
from  the  others,  either  by  its  size  or  by  some  pe 
culiarity  of  form.  Also,  the  tree  must  have  a  hol 
low  place  in  which  the  envelope  could  be  concealed. 
Orme  now  decided  that  Walsh  must  have  found  his 
tree  first  and  then  paced  westward  to  the  fence. 
The  even  number,  one  hundred  paces  north 
from  the  gate,  could  be  only  a  coincidence. 

A  little  to  his  left  Orme  discovered  a  trunk 
much  larger  than  its  neighbors.  It  ran  up 
smoothly  about  eight  feet  to  the  first  limb.  An 


"EVANS,  S.  R."  ,  85 

agile  man  could  easily  get  up  to  this  limb  and  pull 
himself  into  the  branches.  A  cavity  such  as  are 
so  common  in  oaks,  would  furnish  a  good  place 
for  hiding  the  envelope  away. 

He  looked  up.  Suddenly  a  light  appeared  among 
the  branches.  It  was  a  short  ray,  striking  against 
the  trunk.  Before  Orme  could  realize  what  was 
happening  a  hand  appeared  in  the  little  bar  of 
radiance  and  was  inserted  apparently  into  the 
trunk  of  the  tree.  A  moment  later  it  was  with 
drawn.  It  held  an  oblong  of  white. 

Involuntarily  Orme  took  a  step  forward.  A 
twig  cracked  under  his  foot.  Instantly  the  light 
went  out. 

Orme  drew  the  wrench  from  his  pocket  and 
stood  tense.  There  was  no  other  tree  quite  close 
enough  for  the  man  above  him  to  spring  to  its 
branches.  He  would  have  to  drop  near  Orme. 

Standing  there,  the  wrench  in  his  hand,  Orme 
felt  that  the  advantage  was  his.  He  heard  rus 
tlings  in  the  branches  above  his  head  and  kept  him 
self  alert  to  guard  against  the  man  dropping  on 
his  shoulders. 

To  strike  the  Japanese  down  as  he  dropped 
from  the  tree,  that  was  his  plan.  But  meantime, 


86         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

where  was  the  other  Japanese?  Was  he  among 
the  near  shadows?  If  so,  he  might  even  now  be 
creeping  stealthily  toward  Orme.  The  likelihood 
of  such  an  attack  was  disconcerting  to  think  of. 
But  as  Orme  was  wondering  about  it,  it  occurred 
to  him  that  the  man  in  the  tree  would  not  have 
gone  on  guard  so  quickly,  if  his  confederate  were 
near  at  hand.  It  was  natural  that  he  should  have 
put  the  light  out,  but  would  he  not  immediately 
afterward  have  given  some  signal  to  the  friend 
below?  And  would  he  not  take  it  for  granted 
that,  were  a  stranger  near,  his  watcher  would  have 
managed  to  give  warning?  No,  the  other  Japanese 
could  not  be  on  guard. 

Perhaps,  thought  Orme,  only  one  of  them  had 
come  on  this  quest.  He  hoped  that  this  might 
be  the  case.  He  could  deal  with  one. 

The  man  in  the  tree  was  taking  his  own  time  to 
descend.  Doubtless  he  would  await  a  favorable 
moment,  then  alighting  on  the  ground  as  far  from 
Orme  as  possible,  make  off  at  top  speed. 

But  now,  to  Orme's  surprise,  a  figure  swung 
from  the  lower  branch  apparently  without  haste. 
Once  on  the  ground,  however,  the  stranger  leaped 
toward  Orme. 


"EVANS,    S.    R."  87 

An  intuition  led  Orme  to  thrust  out  his  left  arm. 
It  was  quickly  seized,  but  before  the  assailant 
could  twist  it,  Orme  struck  out  with  the  wrench, 
which  was  in  his  right  hand.  Swift  though  the 
motion  was,  his  opponent  threw  up  his  free  arm  and 
partly  broke  the  force  of  the  blow.  But  the  wrench 
reached  his  forehead  nevertheless,  and  with  a  little 
moan,  he  dropped  to  the  ground  in  a  heap. 

As  Orme  knelt  to  search  the  man,  another  figure 
swung  from  the  tree  and  darted  northward,  dis 
appearing  in  the  darkness.  Orme  did  not  pursue 
—it  was  useless — but  a  sickening  intuition  told 
him  that  the  man  who  had  escaped  was  the  man 
who  had  the  envelope. 

He  struck  a  match.  The  man  on  the  ground 
was  moving  uneasily  and  moaning.  There  was  a 
scar  on  his  forehead.  It  was  Maku. 

He  went  through  the  unconscious  man's  pockets. 
There  was  no  envelope  such  as  he  was  looking  for, 
but  he  did  find  a  folded  slip  of  paper  which  he 
thrust  into  his  own  pocket.  A  discovery  that  in 
terested  him,  though  it  was  not  now  important,  he 
made  by  the  light  of  a  second  match.  It  was  the 
marked  five-dollar  bill.  He  would  have  liked  to 
take  it  as  a  souvenir,  if  for  no  other  reason,  but 


88         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

time  was  short  and  Malm,  who  evidently  was  not 
seriously  hurt,  showed  signs  of  returning  con 
sciousness. 

Another  occurrence  also  hastened  him.  A  man 
was  strolling  along  the  lake  shore,  not  far  away. 
Orme  had  not  seen  his  approach,  though  he  was 
distinctly  outlined  against  the  open  background 
of  lake  and  sky.  The  stranger  stopped.  The 
striking  of  the  two  matches  had  attracted  his  at 
tention. 

"  Have  you  lost  something?  "  he  called. 

"  No,"  Orme  replied. 

The  man  started  toward  Orme,  as  if  to  investi 
gate,  and  then  Orme  noticed  that  outlined  on  his 
head  was  a  policeman's  helmet. 

To  be  found  going  through  the  pockets  of  an 
unconscious  man  was  not  to  Orme's  liking.  It 
might  be  possible  to  explain  the  situation  well 
enough  to  satisfy  the  local  authorities,  but  that 
would  involve  delays  fatal  to  any  further  effort 
to  catch  the  man  with  the  envelope. 

So  he  jumped  to  his  feet  and  ran  northward, 
then  turned  to  the  west.  Circling  about,  he  made 
for  the  gate  at  which  he  had  entered.  His  pur 
suer  either  took  the  wrong  lead  in  the  darkness 


"EVANS,  S.  R."  89 

or  stopped  to  examine  Maku,  for  when  Orme  went 
through  the  gate  and  doubled  back,  outside  the 
fence,  to  the  car,  there  was  no  sound  of  steps  be 
hind  him.  He  jumped  to  the  chauffeur's  seat. 

"  Well?  "  inquired  the  girl,  eagerly. 

"  Too  late,"  said  Orme.  "  I'm  sorry.  I  caught 
Maku,  but  the  man  with  the  envelope  got  away." 

She  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm.  "  Are  you  hurt?  " 
There  was  unconcealed  anxiety  in  her  voice. 

To  say  the  things  he  yearned  to  sayl  To  be 
tender  to  her!  But  he  controlled  his  feelings  and 
explained  briefly  what  had  happened,  at  the  same 
time  throwing  on  the  power  and  driving  the  car 
slowly  northward. 

"  I  only  know  that  the  fellow  ran  northward," 
he  said.  "  He  may  have  worked  back  or  he  may 
have  gone  on.  He  may  have  climbed  another  tree 
and  waited." 

By  this  time  they  had  come  to  the  northern 
limits  of  the  grounds,  but  he  had  seen  no  one. 

Suddenly  the  girl  exclaimed   "  Listen !  " 

Orme  stopped  the  car.  Somewhere  from  the 
distance  came  a  faint  hum.  "  Another  car ! "  he 
muttered. 

"  Yes,"  she  said.     "  Oh,  but  I  can  do  no  more. 


90        THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 
I  am  tired,  Mr.  Orme.    We  cannot  catch  that  car, 
even  if  it  does  hold  the  man  we  want — and  there 
is  no  way  of  being  sure  that  it  does." 

"  If  there  is  any  place  to  leave  you,  I  will  go 
after  him  alone."  He  had  turned  the  car  as  he 
spoke  and  was  sending  it  slowly  southward. 

"  No,"  she  said  wearily.  "  We — you  must  do 
no  more  to-night.  You  have  been  so  good,  Mr. 
Orme — to  help  me  in  a  matter  of  which  I  could 
tell  you  almost  nothing.  I  won't  even  try  to 
thank  you — except  by  saying  that  you  have  un 
derstood." 

He  knew  what  she  meant.  He  had  met  her  need, 
because  he  had  known  its  greatness  without  her 
telling  him.  His  recognition  of  her  plight  had 
been  unaccompanied  by  any  suggestion  of  ignored 
conventions.  No  gushing  thanks  would  have 
pleased  him  half  so  much. 

He  smiled  at  her  wistfully.  "  Does  it  all  end 
here?  " 

"  No,"  she  said,  "  I  will  not  let  it  end  here.  We 
are  friends  already;  in  fact,  Mr.  Orme,  as  soon 
as  I  can  do  so,  I  will  see  that  we  are  friends  in 
name.  Can  you  accept  as  little  a  promise  as 
that?" 


"EVANS,   S.    R."  91 

"  I  can  accept  any  promise  from  you,"  he  said 
gravely.  "  And  now  shall  I  take  you  home  ?  " 

"  Not  home.  It  is  too  far.  But  I  have  some 
friends  a  few  blocks  away  who  will  take  me  in. 
Turn  here,  please." 

Under  her  guidance  he  took  the  car  through 
several  streets,  drawing  up  at  last  before  a  large, 
comfortable-looking  place,  set  back  from  the 
street,  with  a  wide,  shrub-dotted  lawn  before  it. 
Several  windows  were  still  lighted.  He  descended 
to  help  her  out. 

She  hesitated.  "  I  hate  to  ask  it,  Mr.  Orme," 
she  finally  said,  "  but  you  can  catch  the  trolley 
back  to  Chicago.  They  will  take  care  of  the  car 
here." 

He  nodded.  "  But  one  thing,  Girl,"  he  said. 
"  I  am  going  to  find  that  other  Japanese  to-mor 
row.  I  shall  get  the  envelope.  Will  you  call  me 
up  at  the  apartment  to-morrow  noon?  If  I  am 
not  there,  leave  word  where  I  can  find  you." 

"  I  will  do  that.  But  don't  get  yourself  hurt." 
She  let  him  help  her  to  the  ground. 

"  At  noon,"  he  said. 

"At  noon.  Good-night,  my  friend."  She  of 
fered  her  hand. 


92         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Good-night,  Girl,"  he  said,  and  then  he  bent 
over  and  kissed  her  fingers  gently. 

He  stood  by  the  car  until  she  had  crossed  the 
lawn  and  ascended  the  steps — until  the  door 
opened  and  admitted  her. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   CHANCE  LEAD 

To  follow  the  girl's  suggestion  and  return  at 
once  to  Chicago  was  Orme's  intention  when  he  said 
good-night  to  her.  The  hour  was  close  to  mid 
night,  and  the  evening  had  been  crowded  so  full 
with  bewildering  adventure  that  he  was  tired. 
Moreover,  he  looked  forward  to  a  morning  that 
might  well  test  his  endurance  even  more  strenu 
ously. 

He  had  now  committed  himself  definitely  to  con 
tinue  in  the  field  against  the  Japanese.  Except 
for  his  desire  to  serve  this  wonderful  girl  who  had 
come  so  suddenly  into  his  life,  he  doubtless  would 
have  permitted  the  mystery  of  the  marked  bill 
to  remain  unsolved.  But  since  the  recovery  of  the 
stolen  papers  was  so  important  to  her,  he  was  pre 
pared  to  run  any  risk  in  the  struggle. 

Who  was  she?  But  no,  that  was  a  question  she 
did  not  wish  him  to  ask.  She  was  simply  "  Girl " 
— beautiful,  tender,  comprehending — his  ideal  in 
carnate.  As  he  stood  there,  hesitant,  before  the 
93 


94         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

house  into  which  she  had  disappeared,  he  pictured 
her  again — even  to  the  strand  of  rebellious  hair 
which  had  blown  across  her  cheek.  He  could  dis 
cover  no  fault  in  her  perfection. 

A  man  came  into  view  on  the  drive  at  the  side 
of  the  house:  a  servant  to  care  for  the  car,  of 
course;  and  Orme,  with  the  uneasy  feeling  of  one 
who  has  been  trespassing,  moved  away  toward  the 
corner  of  the  block.  He  looked  back,  however,  and 
saw  the  newcomer  clamber  into  the  car  and  send 
it  slowly  up  the  drive. 

At  the  same  time  a  light  illumined  one  of  the 
upper  windows  of  the  house.  A  shadow  was  thrown 
on  the  curtain.  Perhaps  it  was  the  girl  her 
self.  What  explanation  had  she  given  her  friends 
for  appearing  so  late  at  their  door?  Probably 
she  had  told  them  no  more  than  that  she  was  tired 
and  belated.  She  was  not  the  kind  of  girl  from 
whom  an  elaborate  explanation  would  be  asked  or 
expected. 

Then  a  thought  startled  him.  Was  this,  per 
haps,  her  home?  No,  she  had  spoken  of  the  people 
who  lived  here  as  her  friends,  and  she  would  not 
have  tried  to  keep  the  truth  from  him  by  subter 
fuge.  If  this  were  her  home  and  she  had  not 


A   CHANCE    LEAD  95 

wished  him  to  know  it,  she  would  have  requested 
him  to  leave  her  before  they  had  come  so  far. 

It  dawned  upon  him  that  it  would  not  be  hard 
for  him  to  learn  who  lived  in  this  house,  and  pos 
sibly  through  that  knowledge  to  get  a  clue  to  her 
identity.  His  heart  warmed  as  he  realized  how 
completely  she  had  trusted  him.  His  assurance 
that  he  would  not  try  to  find  out  who  she  was  had 
satisfied  her.  And  Orme  knew  that,  if  she  had 
been  so  readily  assured,  it  was  because  she  had 
recognized  the  truth  and  devotion  in  him. 

With  a  happy  sigh,  he  turned  his  back  once  and 
for  all  and  walked  rapidly  away.  But  he  did  not 
go  toward  the  electric-car  line,  which  he  knew  must 
lie  a  few  blocks  to  the  west.  Instead,  he  retraced 
the  course  they  had  come,  for  he  had  decided  to 
visit  the  university  campus  once  more  and  try  to 
discover  what  had  become  of  Maku,  and  more 
especially  of  the  other  Japanese,  who  had  secured 
the  papers.  That  he  would  be  recognized  and  con 
nected  with  the  attack  on  Maku,  was  unlikely. 

When  he  came  to  the  corner  of  Sheridan  Road 
and  Chicago  Avenue,  he  hesitated  for  a  moment. 
Should  he  go  north  through  the  campus  and  seek 
a  trace  of  the  Japanese  who  had  escaped?  Nearly 


96         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

half  an  hour  had  gone  since  the  adventure  among 
the  trees,  and  the  man  must  have  got  completely 
away  by  this  time.  Having  the  papers,  he  surely 
would  not  linger  to  learn  the  fate  of  Maku. 

Orme  found  himself  wondering  how  the  Japanese 
had  got  to  Evanston.  Granting  that  it  had  not 
taken  them  long  to  solve  the  abbreviated  directions 
on  the  five-dollar  bill,  they  could  hardly  have  come 
by  motor-car,  for  they  had  had  a  good  half-hour 
start,  and  yet  Orme  had  discovered  them  before 
their  work  was  completed.  Only  on  the  assumption 
that  their  car  had  broken  down  on  the  way  could 
Orme  admit  that  they  had  used  a  motor-car.  More 
over,  how  were  two  Japanese,  whose  appearance 
did  not  indicate  the  possession  of  much  ready 
money — how  were  they  likely  to  have  a  car,  or 
even  to  rent  one?  And  had  they  believed  that 
they  might -be  pursued?  Would  they  not  have 
come  to  Evanston  by  an  obvious  route  of  train  or 
trolley. 

These  considerations  led  Orme  to  think  that 
the  car  which  he  and  the  girl  had  heard  in  the  dis 
tance  could  not  have  been  occupied  by  the  escaping 
Japanese. 

The  fellow,  then,  had  probably  made  for  the 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  97 

electric-car  line,  and  in  that  event  he  would  be  well 
on  his  way  to  Chicago  by  this  time.  The  car  he 
had  caught  must  have  gone  southward  from  Evans- 
ton  about  ten  forty-five.  The  conductor  would 
be  likely  to  remember  having  had  a  Japanese  on 
board ;  perhaps  he  would  even  remember  where  the 
Oriental  had  got  off.  The  natural  course  for 
Orme,  therefore,  was  to  take  a  car  himself  and,  if 
he  did  not  meet  the  other  car  returning,  to  get  off 
at  the  car-barns  and  make  inquiries.  The  possibil 
ity  that  the  Japanese  had  changed  to  the  elevated 
road  on  the  North  Side  was  great,  but  the  con 
ductor  might  remember  if  the  change  had  been 
made. 

But  Orme  did  not  turn  at  once  toward  the  car- 
line.  Though  his  logic  pointed  in  that  direction, 
he  was  irresistibly  influenced  by  a  desire  to  walk 
eastward  along  the  drive  where  it  skirted  the  south 
ern  end  of  the  campus.  A  half-hour  might  go  by, 
and  still  he  would  not  be  too  late  to  meet,  on  its 
return,  the  car  which  the  Japanese  would  have 
taken.  He  started,  therefore,  eastward,  toward  the 
lake,  throwing  frequent  glances  through  the  iron 
fence  at  his  left  and  into  the  dark  shadows  of  the 
oaks. 


98         THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

He  came  to  the  lake  without  encountering  any 
one.  The  road  here  swept  to  the  southward,  and 
on  the  beach  near  the  turn  squatted  the  low  brick 
building  which  the  girl  had  told  him  was  the  life- 
saving  station.  A  man  was  standing  on  the  little 
veranda.  His  suit  of  duck  was  dimly  white  in  the 
light  from  the  near-by  street-lamps. 

"  One  of  the  crew,"  Orme  surmised,  and  he  saun 
tered  slowly  down  the  little  path. 

The  beach  sloped  grayly  to  the  edge  of  the  lake, 
where  a  breakwater  thrust  its  blunt  nose  out  like 
a  stranded  hulk.  The  water  was  calm,  lapping  the 
sand  so  gently  that  it  was  hard  to  believe  that 
so  gentle  a  murmur  could  ever  swell  into  the  roar 
of  a  northeaster.  A  launch  that  was  moored  at 
the  outer  end  of  the  breakwater  lay  quiet  on  the 
tideless  surface. 

"  Good-evening,"  said  Orme,  as  the  man  turned 
his  head.  "  Are  you  on  watch?  " 

The  life-saver  slowly  stretched.  "  Till  twelve," 
he  answered. 

"  Not  much  longer,  then  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  heaven  !  " 

Orme  laughed.  "  I  suppose  you  do  get  more 
than  you  want  of  it,"  he  said.  "  But  on  a  fine 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  99 

night  like  this  I  should  think  it  would  be  mighty 
pleasant." 

"  Not  if  you  have  to  put  in  several  hours  of 
study  after  you  get  through." 

"Study?" 

"  Yes.  You  see,  I  have  a  special  examination 
to-morrow." 

"A  service  examination?" 

"  Oh,  no— college." 

"  Are  you  a  student  ?  " 

"  All  the  crew  are  students.  It  helps  a  good 
deal,  if  you  are  working  your  way  through  col 
lege." 

"  Oh,  I  see.  But  surely  the  university  hasn't 
opened  for  the  fall?  " 

"  No,  but  there  are  preliminary  exams,  for  those 
who  have  conditions  to  work  off." 

Orme  nodded.  "  It's  a  fine  campus  you  have — 
with  the  groves  of  oaks." 

"  Yes." 

"  Just  the  place  for  a  quiet  evening  stroll.  I 
thought  I'd  walk  up  the  shore." 

"  There's  a  rule  against  going  in  there  after 
dark." 

"  Is  there?    That's  too  bad." 


100       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Something  funny  happened  there  just  a  little 
while  ago." 

"  So?  What  was  it?"  Orme  was  getting  close 
to  the  subject  he  most  desired  to  hear  explained. 

"  Why,  one  of  the  cops  was  walking  along  the 
shore  and  he  found  a  Japanese,  stunned." 

"  A  Japanese !  " 

"  He  evidently  had  wandered  in  there  and  some 
body  had  hit  him  over  the  head  with  a  club." 

"  After  money  ?  " 

"  Probably.  There've  been  a  good  many  hold 
ups  lately.  But  the  slugger  didn't  have  a  chance 
to  get  anything  this  time." 

"How  so?" 

"  He  was  bending  over  the  Jap  when  the  cop 
came  up.  He  got  away." 

"  Didn't  the  cop  chase  him  ?  " 

"  No,  the  fellow  had  a  good  start,  so  the  cop 
stayed  by  the  Jap." 

"  And  what  became  of  the  Jap  ?  " 

The  life-saver  jerked  his  head  toward  the  door 
beside  him.  "  He's  in  there,  getting  over  his  head 
ache." 

"  Is  he?  "  This  was  a  contingency  which  Orme 
had  not  foreseen.  Nor  had  he  any  desire  to  come 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  101 

face  to  face  with  Maku.  But  if  he  betrayed  his 
surprise,  the  life-saver  did  not  notice  it. 

"  The  cop  is  taking  another  look  through  the 
campus,"  he  continued. 

"  What  does  the  Jap  say  about  it?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  He  doesn't  say  anything.  It  looks  as  though 
he  couldn't  speak  English.  The  cop  is  going  to 
get  Asuki." 

"Asuki?" 

"  A  Jap  student  who  lives  in  the  dormitory." 

"  Oh,"  said  Orme. 

The  fact  that  Maku  would  not  talk  was  in  a. 
measure  reassuring.  His  apparent  inability  to 
understand  English  was,  of  course,  assumed,  un 
less,  indeed,  he  was  still  too  completely  dazed  by 
the  blow  which  Orme  had  given  him,  to  use  a  tongue 
which  was  more  or  less  strange  to  him.  But  what 
would  he  say  if  he  saw  Orme?  Would  he  not  ac 
cuse  his  assailant,  hoping  thus  to  delay  the  pursuit 
of  his  companion? 

The  danger  was  by  no  means  slight.  Orme  de 
cided  quickly  to  get  away  from  this  neighborhood. 
But  just  as  he  was  about  to  bid  the  life-saver  a 
casual  good-night,  two  men  came  around  the  cor 
ner  of  the  building.  One  was  a  policeman,  the 


102       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

other  a  young  Japanese.  Orme  unobtrusively 
seated  himself  on  the  edge  of  the  little  veranda. 

"  How  is  he?  "  asked  the  policeman. 

"  All  right,  I  guess,"  replied  the  life-saver.  "  I 
looked  in  a  few  minutes  ago,  and  he  was  sitting  up. 
Hello,  Asuki." 

"  Hello,  there,"  responded  the  little  Japanese. 

"  Come,"  said  the  policeman,  after  an  unsuspi 
cious  glance  at  Orme,  and,  mounting  the  steps,  he 
led  his  interpreter  into  the  station. 

Now,  indeed,  it  was  time  for  Orme  to  slip  away. 
Maku  might  be  brought  out  at  any  moment.  But 
Orme  lingered.  He  was  nearer  to  the  solution  of 
the  secret  if  he  kept  close  to  Maku,  and  he  realized, 
for  that  matter,  that  by  watching  Maku  closely 
and,  perhaps,  following  him  home,  he  might  be 
led  straight  to  the  other  man.  If  Maku  accused 
him,  it  should  not,  after  all,  be  hard  to  laugh  the 
charge  away. 

A  murmur  of  voices  came  from  within  the  sta 
tion,  the  policeman's  words  alone  being  distin 
guishable. 

"  Ask  him,"  the  policeman  said,  "  if  he  knows 
who  hit  him." 

The  undertones  of  a  foreign  j  argon  followed. 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  103 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  the  policeman,  "  find 
out  where  he  came  from  and  what  he  was  doing  on 
the  campus." 

Again  the  undertones,  and  afterward  an  interval 
of  silence.  Then  the  policeman  spoke  in  an  unde 
cided  voice. 

"  If  he  don't  know  anything,  I  can't  do  any 
thing.  But  we  might  as  well  get  a  few  more  facts. 
Something  might  turn  up.  Ask  him  whether  he 
saw  anybody  following  him  when  he  went  into  the 
campus." 

Orme  had  been  straining  his  ears  in  a  vain  en 
deavor  to  catch  the  words  of  Asuki.  But  suddenly 
his  attention  was  diverted  by  a  sound  from  the 
lake.  It  was  the  "  puh-puh-puh-puh  "  of  a  motor- 
boat,  apparently  a  little  distance  to  the  northward. 
The  explosions  followed  one  another  in  rapid  suc 
cession. 

He  turned  to  the  life-saver. 

"  What  boat  is  that?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  Some  party  from  Chicago, 
probably.  She  came  up  an  hour  or  so  ago — at 
least,  I  suppose  she's  the  same  one." 

The  explosions  were  now  so  rapid  as  to  make 
almost  one  continuous  roar. 


104       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  She's  a  fast  one,  all  right,"  commented  the  life- 
saver.  "  Hear  her  go !  " 

"  Are  there  many  fast  boats  on  the  lake  ?  " 

"  Quite  a  number.  They  run  out  from  Chicago 
harbor  now  and  then." 

Orme  was  meditating. 

"  Exactly  how  long  ago  did  this  boat  pass  ?  " 

"  Oh,  an  hour  or  more.     Why  ?  " 

"  She  seems  to  have  been  beached  up  north  here 
a  little  way." 

"  She  may  have  been.  Or  they've  been  lying  to 
out  there." 

In  Orme's  mind  arose  a  surmise  that  in  this 
motor-boat  Maku  and  his  companion  had  come 
from  Chicago.  The  surmise  was  so  strong  as  to 
develop  quickly  into  a  certainty.  And  if  the  Jap 
anese  had  come  by  this  boat,  it  stood  to  reason 
that  the  one  who  had  the  papers  was  escaping  in 
it.  He  must  have  waited  some  time  for  Maku 
and,  at  last,  had  pushed  off  to  return  alone. 

Were  these  Japanese  acting  for  themselves? 
That  did  not  seem  possible.  Then  who  was  their 
employer? 

Orme  did  not  puzzle  long  over  these  questions, 
for  he  had  determined  on  a  course  of  action.  He 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  105 

spoke  to  the  life-saver,  who  appeared  to  be  listen 
ing  to  the  droning  conversation  which  continued 
within  the  station. 

"  The  hold-up  men  may  be  in  that  boat,"  re 
marked  Orme. 

"  Hardly."     A  laugh  accompanied  the  answer. 

"  Well,  why  not?  She  came  north  an  hour  or 
so  ago  and  either  was  beached  or  lay  to  until  just 
now." 

"  You  may  be  right."  Then,  before  Orme  knew 
what  was  happening,  the  young  man  opened  the 
door  and  called  into  the  station :  "  Hey,  there ! 
Your  robber  is  escaping  on  that  motor-boat  out. 
there." 

"  What's  that?  "  The  policeman  strode  to  the 
door. 

"Don't  you  hear  that  boat  out  there?"  asked 
the  life-saver. 

"  Sure,  I  hear  it." 

"  Well,  she  came  up  from  the  south  an  hour  or 
more  ago  and  stopped  a  little  north  of  here.  Now 
she's  going  back.  Mr.  Holmes,  here  " — he  grinned 
as  he  said  it — "  Mr.  Holmes  suggests  that  the 
hold-up  man  is  aboard." 

The  reference  to  the  famous  detective  of  fiction 


106       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

was  lost  upon  the  policeman.  "  I  guess  that's 
about  it,  Mr.  Holmes,"  he  said  excitedly;  and 
Orme  was  much  relieved  to  note  that  the  life-saver's 
humorous  reference  had  passed  for  an  introduc 
tion.  The  policeman  would  have  no  suspicion  of 
him  now — unless  Maku 

There  was  an  exclamation  from  within  the  room. 
"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  the  policeman,  turn 
ing  in  the  doorway. 

The  voice  of  Asuki  replied :  "  He  say  the  rob 
ber  came  in  a  bicycle — not  in  a  boat." 

"  But  I  thought  he  didn't  see  the  fellow  coming." 

"  He  remember  now." 

The  policeman  started.  "  How  did  he  know 
what  we  were  talking  about  out  here  ? "  he  de 
manded. 

"  He  understand  English,  but  not  speak  it,"  re 
plied  Asuki  readily. 

To  the  policeman  this  explanation  was  satisfac 
tory.  Orme,  of  course,  found  in  it  a  corrobora- 
tion  of  his  guess.  Maku  evidently  did  not  wish 
suspicion  directed  against  the  motor-boat. 

The  policeman  re-entered  the  station,  eager  to 
avail  himself  of  the  information  which  Maku  was 
now  disposed  to  give  him. 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  107 

Orme  turned  to  the  life-saver.  "  The  Jap  is 
lying,"  he  said. 

"Think  so?" 

"  Of  course.  If  he  understands  English  so  well, 
he  certainly  knows  how  to  make  himself  understood 
in  it.  His  story  of  the  bicycle  is  preposterous." 

"But  what  then?" 

"  Doesn't  it  occur  to  you  that  perhaps  the  Jap 
himself  is  the  robber?  His  intended  victim  may 
have  got  the  better  of  him." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  young  man  doubtfully,  "  but 
the  fellow  ran." 

"  That  would  be  natural.  Doubtless  he  didn't 
want  any  notoriety.  It's  possible  that  he  thought 
he  had  killed  his  assailant,  and  had  an  unpleasant 
vision  of  being  detained  in  the  local  jail  until  the 
affair  could  be  cleared  up." 

The  life-saver  looked  at  Orme  searchingly. 

"  That  sounds  pretty  straight,"  he  said  at  last. 
"  I  guess  you  know  what  you  are  talking  about." 

"  Perhaps  I  do,"  said  Orme  quietly.  "  In  any 
event  I'd  like  to  see  who's  in  that  boat  out  there." 

"  There  isn't  a  boat  nearer  than  Chicago  that 
could  catch  her.  They  have  run  her  several  miles 
out  into  the  lake  before  turning  south,  or  she  would 


108       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

have  been  pretty  close  to  Chicago  already.  She's 
going  fast." 

The  roar  of  the  motor  was  indeed  becoming  a 
far-off  sound. 

"  Why  not  telephone  the  Chicago  police  to  inter 
cept  her?  " 

"  There's  no  evidence  against  her,"  replied 
Orme ;  "  only  surmises." 

"I  know,  but " 

"  And,  as  I  suggested,  whoever  was  attacked  by 
that  Jap  in  there  may  not  want  notoriety." 

Suddenly  the  distant  explosions  stopped — began 
again — stopped.  Several  times  they  were  renewed 

at  short  intervals — "  puh-puh-puh  " "  puh- 

puh  "•  — "  puh-puh-puh-puh" — then  they  ceased 
altogether. 

"  Hello !  "  exclaimed  the  life-saver.  "  They've 
broken  down." 

He  picked  up  a  pair  of  binoculars  which  had 
been  lying  on  the  veranda  near  him,  and  scanned 
the  surface  of  the  lake. 

"  Make  her  out  ?  "  queried  Orme. 

"  No,  she's  too  small,  and  too  far  off."  He 
handed  the  night-glass  to  Orme,  who  in  turn 
searched  the  water  vainly. 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  109 

"  Whose  boat  is  that  moored  to  the  break 
water  ?  "  asked  Orme,  lowering  the  glass. 

"  Belongs  to  a  man  here  in  town." 

"Would  he  rent  it?" 

"  No.  But  he  lets  us  run  it  once  in  a  while.  We 
keep  an  eye  on  it  for  him." 

Orme  took  out  his  watch.  "  It's  almost  twelve," 
he  said.  "  You'll  be  relieved  in  a  few  moments. 
Do  you  suppose  I  could  persuade  you  to  take  me 
out  to  the  other  boat?  " 

The  life-saver  hesitated.  "  I'd  like  to,"  he  said. 
"  But  my  study " 

"  There'll  be  some  sport,  if  we  get  within  reach 
of  the  man  out  there,"  Orme  put  in. 

"  Well — I'll  do  it — though  the  chances  are  that 
they  will  make  their  repairs  and  be  off  again  before 
we  come  within  a  mile." 

"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  Orme.  "  If 
you  would  let  me  make  it  right " 

"  For  taking  you  out  in  another  man's  boat  ? 
No,  sir." 

"  I  know.  Well — my  name  is  Orme,  not 
Holmes." 

"  And  mine,"  grinned  the  life-saver,  "  is 
Porter." 


110       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

A  man  turned  in  from  the  drive,  and  sauntered 
toward  them. 

"There's  my  relief,"  said  Porter.  "Hello, 
Kelmsley." 

"  Hello,"  replied  the  newcomer. 

"  Just  wait  till  I  punch  the  clock,"  said  Porter 
to  Orme. 

"  Punch  the  clock?  Oh,  I  see;  the  government 
times  you." 

"  Yes." 

Porter  went  into  the  station  for  a  moment ;  then, 
returning,  he  exchanged  a  few  words  with  the  relief 
and  led  Orme  down  to  the  breakwater.  The 
launch  which  was  moored  there  proved  to  be  a 
sturdy  boat,  built  for  strength  rather  than  for 
speed. 

Orme  cast  off  while  Porter  removed  the  tar 
paulin  from  the  motor  and  made  ready  to  turn  the 
wheel  over. 

"  Is  the  policeman  still  busy  with  the  Jap  ?  " 
Orme  questioned  suddenly. 

"  Yes." 

"  He  won't  get  anything  out  of  him,"  said 
Orme — "  except  fairy-stories." 

Porter  started  the  motor  and  stepped  forward 


A    CHANCE    LEAD  111 

to  the  steering-wheel.  Slowly  the  launch  pushed 
out  into  the  open  lake,  and  the  lights  of  the  shore 
receded. 

No  sound  had  come  from  the  disabled  boat  since 
its  motor  stopped.  Doubtless  it  was  too  far  off 
for  the  noise  of  repairs  to  be  heard  on  the  shore. 
Orme  peered  over  the  dark  surface  of  the  water, 
but  he  could  see  nothing  except  the  lights  of  a 
distant  steamer. 

"  I  know  why  he  went  out  so  far,"  remarked 
Porter.  "  He  is  running  without  lights." 

"That  in  itself  is  suspicious,  isn't  it?"  Orme 
asked. 

"  Why,  yes,  I  suppose  so — though  people  aren't 
always  as  careful  as  they  might  be."  Our  own 
lights  aren't  lighted,  you  see." 

"  Have  you  any  clue  at  all  as  to  where  she  is  ?  " 

"  Only  from  the  direction  the  sounds  came  from 
just  before  the  explosions  stopped.  She  had  head 
way  enough  to  slide  some  distance  after  that,  and 
I'm  allowing  for  it — and  for  the  currents.  With 
the  lake  as  it  is,  she  would  be  carried  in  a  little." 

For  nearly  half  an  hour  they  continued  straight 
out  toward  mid-lake.  Orme  noticed  that  there  was 
a  slight  swell.  The  lights  of  Evanston  were  now 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

mere  twinkling  distant  points,  far  away  over  the 
dark  void  of  the  waters. 

Porter  shut  off  the  power.  "  We  must  be  pretty 
near  her,"  he  said. 

They  listened  intently. 

"  Perhaps  I  steered  too  far  south,"  said  Porter 
at  last. 

He  threw  on  the  power,  and  sent  the  boat  north 
ward  in  slow,  wide  circles.  The  distant  steamship 
had  made  progress  toward  the  northeast — bound, 
perhaps,  for  Muskegon,  or  some  other  port  on  the 
Michigan  shore.  She  was  a  passenger  steamer,  ap 
parently,  for  lines  of  portholes  and  deck-windows 
were  marked  by  dots  of  light.  There  was  no  other 
sign  of  human  presence  to  be  seen  on  the  lake,  and 
Orme's  glance  expectantly  wandered  to  her  lights 
now  and  then. 

At  last,  while  he  was  looking  at  it,  after  a  fruit 
less  search  of  the  darkness,  he  was  startled  by  a 
strange  phenomenon.  The  lights  of  the  steamer 
suddenly  disappeared.  An  instant  later  they 
shone  out  again. 

With  an  exclamation,  Orme  seized  the  steering- 
wheel  and  swung  it  over  to  the  right. 

"  There  she  is,"  he  cried,  and  then :     "  Excuse 


A  CHANCE  LEAD  113 

me  for  taking  the  wheel  that  way,  but  I  was  afraid 
I'd  lose  her." 

"  I  don't  see  her,"  said  Porter. 

"  No ;  but  something  dark  cut  off  the  lights  of 
that  steamer.  Hold  her  so."  He  let  go  the 
wheel  and  peered  ahead. 

Presently  they  both  saw  a  spot  of  blacker  black 
ness  in  the  night.  Porter  set  the  motor  at  half- 
speed. 

"  Have  you  got  a  bull's-eye  lantern  ?  "  asked 
Orme  in  an  undertone. 

"  Yes,  in  that  locker." 

Orme  stooped  and  lighted  the  lantern  in  the 
shelter  of  the  locker. 

"  Now  run  up  alongside,"  he  said,  "  and  ask  if 
they  need  help." 

The  outline  of  the  disabled  boat  now  grew  more 
distinct.  Porter  swung  around  toward  it  and 
called : 

"Need  help?" 

After  a  moment's  wait,  a  voice  replied: 

"  Yes.     You  tow  me  to  Chicago.     I  pay  you." 

It  was  a  voice  which  Orme  recognized  as  that  of 
the  Japanese  who  had  been  with  Maku  in  the  at 
tack  at  the  Pere  Marquette. 


114       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Can't  do  that,"  answered  Porter.  "  I'll  take 
you  in  to  Evanston." 

"  No !  "  The  tone  was  expostulatory.  "  I  go 
to  Chicago.  I  fix  engine  pretty  soon." 

At  this  moment  Orme  raised  his  lantern  and  di 
rected  its  light  into  the  other  boat.  It  shone  into 
the  blinking  eyes  of  the  Japanese,  standing  by  the 
motor.  It  shone 

Great  Heaven!  Was  he  dreaming?  Orme 
could  not  believe  his  eyes.  The  light  revealed  the 
face  of  the  one  person  he  least  expected  to  see — 
for,  seated  on  a  cushion  at  the  forward  end  of  the 
cockpit,  was  the  girl! 


CHAPTER    VII 

A  JAPANESE  AT   LARGE 

WHAT  was  the  girl  doing  out  there  in  mid-lake 
in  the  company  of  her  enemy?  Orme  had  seen  her 
enter  the  house  of  her  friends  in  Evanston;  had 
bidden  her  good-night  with  the  understanding  that 
she  was  to  make  no  further  move  in  the  game  be 
fore  the  coming  morning.  She  must  have  left  the 
house  soon  after  he  walked  away. 

Had  she  known  all  the  time  where  the  Japanese 
was?  Had  she  hunted  him  out  to  make  terms  with 
him?  If  that  were  the  case,  her  action  indicated 
a  new  and  unsuspected  distrust  of  Orme  himself. 
Her  failure  to  call  for  help  when  Orme  and  Porter 
came  up  in  their  launch  seemed  to  show  that  her 
presence  in  the  other  boat  was  voluntary.  And 
yet  Orme  could  not  believe  that  there  was  not  some 
simple  explanation  which  she  would  welcome  the 
first  chance  to  make.  He  -could  not  doubt  her. 

The  immediate  thing  to  do,  however,  was  to  find 
out  just  what  she  desired.  Suppressing  his  ex 
citement,  he  called  out: 

115 


116       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"Girl!" 

At  the  same  time  he  turned  the  lantern  so  that 
his  own  face  was  illuminated. 

"  Mr.  Orme ! "  she  cried,  rising  from  her  seat. 
"You  here?" 

"  At  your  service." 

He  smiled,  and  turned  his  eyes  for  an  instant  on 
her  companion.  The  face  of  the  Japanese  was  a 
study.  His  eyes  were  narrowed  to  thin  slits,  and 
his  mouth  was  formed  into  a  meaningless  grin. 

Orme  spoke  to  the  Japanese  in  French.  "  Maku 
has  confessed,"  he  said.  "  He  is  under  arrest." 

The  face  of  the  Japanese  did  not  change. 

"Do  you  understand?"  asked  Orme,  still  in 
French. 

There  was  no  answer,  and  Orme  turned  to  the 
Girl  and  said,  in  French. 

"  I  don't  think  he  understands  this  language." 

"  Apparently  not,"  she  replied,  in  the  same 
tongue. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  went  on,  "  are  you  there  of  your 
own  will?  " 

"  No." 

"Has  he  the  papers?" 

"  I  think  so.       I  don't  know." 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          117 

"  See  if  you  -can  manage  to  get  past  him.  and 
I  will  help  you  into  our  boat." 

"  I'll  try."  She  nodded,  with  a  brave  effort  to 
show  reassurance. 

Orme  frowned  at  the  Japanese.  "  What  are 
you  doing  writh  this  young  lady?  "  he  demanded. 

"  No  understand." 

"  Yes,  you  do  understand.  You  understood  well 
enough  when  you  robbed  me  this  evening." 

"  No  understand,"  the  Japanese  repeated. 

The  girl,  meantime,  had  moved  slowly  from  her 
position.  The  two  boats  were  close  together. 
Suddenly,  after  a  swift  glance  from  Orme,  the 
girl  stepped  to  the  gunwale  and  leaped  across  the 
gap.  Orme  reached  forward  and  caught  her, 
drawing  her  for  a  brief  instant  close  into  his  arms 
before  she  found  her  footing  in  the  cockpit. 

"  Splendid ! "  he  whispered,  and  she  tossed  her 
head  with  a  pretty  smile  of  relief. 

Porter  had  been  standing  close  by,  the  boathook 
in  his  hands.  "  Is  there  anything  more  to  be 
done?  "  he  asked  of  Orme. 

"  Yes,  wait  a  moment." 

The  Japanese  had  made  no  move  to  prevent  the 
girl's  escape.  Indeed,  while  she  was  leaping  to 


118       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

the  other  boat,  he  balanced  himself  and  turned  to 
his  motor,  as  though  to  continue  the  work  of  re 
pair. 

"  Now,  then,"  called  Orme,  "  you  must  give  me 
those  papers." 

"  No  understand."  The  Japanese  did  not  even 
look  up  from  his  task. 

Orme  turned  to  Porter.  "  Give  me  the  boat- 
hook,"  he  said,  and,  taking  it,  he  hooked  it  to  the 
gunwale  of  the  other  boat,  drawing  the  two  crafts 
together.  His  intention  was  to  use  the  boathook 
to  bring  the  Japanese  to  terms.  But  the  Oriental 
was  too  quick.  His  apparent  indifference  van 
ished,  and  with  a  cat-like  pounce,  he  seized  the 
boathook  and  snatched  it  from  Orme's  grasp. 

The  action  was  so  unexpected  that  Orme  was 
completely  taken  by  surprise.  He  made  ready, 
however,  to  leap  in  unarmed,  but  the  Japanese 
thrust  the  blunt  end  of  the  boathook  at  him,  and 
the  blow,  which  struck  him  in  the  chest,  sent  him 
toppling  backward.  He  was  saved  from  tumbling 
into  the  cockpit  by  Porter,  who  caught  him  by  the 
shoulders  and  helped  him  to  right  himself.  The 
two  boats  tossed  for  a  moment  like  corks  in  the 
water. 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          119 

When  Orme  again  leaped  to  the  gunwale,  the 
Japanese  was  using  the  boathook  to  push  the  craft 
apart.  A  final  shove  widened  the  distance  to  six 
or  eight  feet.  The  jump  was  impossible.  Even 
if  the  boats  had  been  nearer  together  it  would 
have  been  folly  to  attempt  an  attack. 

Stepping  down  into  the  cockpit,  Orme  bent  over 
the  girl,  who  had  sunk  down  upon  a  cushion.  She 
seemed  to  be  content  that  he  should  play  the  game 
for  her. 

"What  is  wrong  with  his  motor?"  he  said. 
"  Do  you  know?  " 

She  answered  in  an  undertone:  "I  shut  off 
the  gasoline-supply  He  wasn't  looking.  He 
didn't  see." 

"  Good  for  you,  Girl !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Where 
did  you  do  it?  At  the  tank?  " 

"  No.  Unfortunately  the  valve  is  at  the  car 
buretter.  Oh,"  she  continued,  "  we  must  get  the 
papers !  " 

Orme  turned  to  Porter.  "  Are  you  willing  to 
take  a  risk?  "  he  asked. 

"  Anything  in  reason."  The  life-saver  grinned. 
"  Of  course,  I  don't  understand  what's  going  on, 
but  I'll  back  you." 


120       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  This  is  a  good,  stout  tub  we  are  in."  Orme 
hesitated.  "  I  want  you  to  ram  her  nose  into  that 
other  boat." 

Porter  shook  his  head. 

"  That's  going  pretty  far,"  he  said.  "  I  don't 
know  that  there  is  warrant  for  it." 

"  It  won't  need  to  be  a  hard  bump,"  Orme  ex 
plained.  "  I  don't  want  to  hurt  the  fellow." 

"  Then  why ?  " 

"  To  frighten  him  into  giving  up  some  papers." 

Porter  looked  straight  into  Orme's  eyes.  "  Do 
the  papers  belong  to  you?  "  he  demanded. 

"  No."  Orme  spoke  quietly.  "  They  belong 
to  this  young  lady — or,  rather,  to  her  father. 
This  Japanese,  and  the  other  one,  there  on  the 
shore,  stole  them." 

"  What  is  the  lady's  name." 

"  I  can't  tell  you  that." 

"  But  the  police " 

"  It  isn't  a  matter  for  the  police.  Please  trust 
me,  Mr.  Porter." 

The  life-saver  stood  irresolute. 

"  If  this  boat  is  damaged,  I'll  make  it  good  five 
times  over,"  continued  Orme. 

"  Oh,    it    wouldn't    hurt    the    boat.       A    few 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE 

scratches,  perhaps.  It's  the  other  boat  I'm 
thinking  of." 

"  It's  pretty  grim  business,  I  know,"  remarked 
Orme. 

The  younger  man  again  studied  Orme's  face. 
*'  Can  you  give  me  your  word  that  the  circum 
stances  would  justify  us  in  ramming  that  boat?" 

It  flashed  over  Orme  that  he  had  no  idea  what 
those  circumstances  were.  He  knew  only  what 
little  the  girl  had  told  him.  Yet  she  had  assured 
him  again  and  again  that  the  papers  were  of  the 
greatest  importance.  True,  throughout  the  af 
fair,  thus  far,  with  the  exception  of  the  blow  he 
had  given  Maku,  the  persons  concerned  had  offered 
no  dangerous  violence.  The  mysterious  papers 
might  contain  information  about  South  American 
mines — as  little  Poritol  had  suggested ;  they  might 
hold  the  secrets  of  an  international  syndicate. 
Whatever  they  were,  it  was  really  doubtful  whether 
the  necessity  of  their  recovery  would  justify  the 
possible  slaying  of  another  man. 

Perhaps  the  girl  had  unconsciously  exaggerated 
their  value.  Women  who  took  a  hand  in  business 
often  lost  the  sense  of  relative  importance.  And 
yet,  she  had  been  so  sure ;  she  had  herself  gone  to 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

such  lengths.  Then,  too,  the  South  Americans 
had  hired  a  burglar  to  break  into  her  father's 
house,  and  now  this  Japanese  had  abducted  her. 
Yes,  it  was  a  serious  game. 

Orme  answered  Porter.  "  I  give  you  my 
word,"  he  said. 

Porter  nodded  and  tightened  his  lips. 

"  At  the  very  least,  that  fellow  has  tried  to  ab 
duct  this  young  lady,"  added  Orme. 

"  All  right,"  said  Porter.     "  Let  her  go." 

The  other  boat  had  drifted  about  fifty  feet 
away.  Orme  called  out. 

"  Hello,  there,  Japanese.  Will  you  give  up  the 
papers." 

No  answer  came. 

"  If  you  won't,"  cried  Orme,  "  we  are  going  to 
ram  you." 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  exclaimed  the  girl  suddenly.  "  We 
mustn't  drown  him." 

"  We  shan't,"  said  Orme.  "  But  we  will  give 
him  a  scare."  Then,  in  a  louder  voice :  "  Do 
you  hear?  " 

The  only  reply  was  the  tapping  of  metal  on 
metal.  The  Japanese,  it  seemed,  was  still  trying 
to  find  out  what  was  wrong  with  his  motor. 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          123 

"  Well,  then,"  Orme  said  to  Porter,  "  we'll  have 
to  try  it.  But  use  low  speed,  and  be  ready  to 
veer  off  at  the  last  minute." 

"  He'll  try  to  fend  with  the  boathook,"  said 
Porter. 

"  If  he  does,  I'll  get  him." 

"How?" 

"  Lasso."  Orme  picked  up  a  spare  painter  that 
was  stored  under  the  seat,  and  began  to  tie  a  slip- 
noose. 

The  girl  now  spoke.  "  I  suppose  we  shall  have 
to  do  it,"  she  said.  "  But  I  wish  there  were  a  less 
dangerous,  a  less  tragic  way." 

Hardly  knowing  what  he  did,  Orme  laid  his  hand 
gently  on  her  shoulder.  "  It  will  be  all  right, 
dear,"  he  whispered. 

If  the  word  embarrassed  her,  the  darkness  cov 
ered  her  confusion. 

Porter  had  started  the  motor,  setting  it  at  a 
low  speed,  and  now  he  was  steering  the  boat  in  a 
circle  to  gain  distance  for  the  charge. 

"  I've  lost  the  other  boat,"  exclaimed  Orme, 
peering  into  the  darkness. 

"  She's  off  there,"  said  Porter.  "  You  can't  see 
her,  but  I  know  the  direction." 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

He  swung  the  launch  around  and  headed 
straight  through  the  night. 

"  Hold  on  tight,"  Orme  cautioned  the  girl,  and, 
coiling  his  lasso,  he  went  to  the  bow. 

The  launch  moved  steadily  forward.  Orme, 
straining  his  eyes  in  the  endeavor  to  distinguish  the 
other  boat,  saw  it  at  last.  It  lay  a  few  points  to 
starboard,  and  Porter  altered  the  course  of  the 
launch  accordingly. 

"  Make  for  the  stern,"  called  Orme,  "  and  crip 
ple  her  propeller,  if  you  can." 

Another  slight  change  in  the  course  showed  that 
Porter  understood. 

As  the  lessening  of  the  distance  between  the  two 
boats  made  it  possible  to  distinguish  the  disabled 
speeder  more  clearly,  Orme  saw  that  the  Japanese 
was  still  tinkering  with  the  motor.  He  was  busy 
ing  himself  as  though  he  realized  that  he  had  no 
hope  of  escape  unless  he  could  start  his  boat. 

Narrower,  narrower,  grew  the  intervening  gap 
of  dark  water.  Orme  braced  himself  for  the 
shock.  In  his  left  hand  was  the  -coiled  painter ;  in 
his  right,  the  end  of  the  ready  noose,  which  trailed 
behind  him  on  the  decking.  It  was  long  since  he 
had  thrown  a  lariat.  In  a  vivid  gleam  of  memory 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          125 

he  saw  at  that  moment  the  hot,  dusty  New  Mexi 
can  corral,  the  low  adobe  buildings,  the  lumbering 
cattle  and  the  galloping  horses  of  the  ranch. 
There  he  had  spent  one  summer  vacation  of  his 
college  life.  It  was  ten  years  past,  but  this  pose, 
the  rope  in  his  hand,  flashed  it  back  to  him. 

Now  they  were  almost  on  the  Japanese.  For 
the  moment  he  seemed  to  waver.  He  glanced  at 
the  approaching  launch,  and  reached  uncertainly 
for  the  boathook.  Even  his  subtle  resources 
were  almost  at  an  end.  Yet  it  did  not  seem  to  oc 
cur  to  him  to  yield. 

And  then,  as  for  the  hundredth  time  he  laid  his 
hands  on  the  motor,  he  uttered  a  cry.  It  was 
plain  to  Orme  that  the  cause  of  the  supposed  break 
down  had  been  discovered.  But  was  there  time  for 
the  Japanese  to  get  away?  It  was  doubtful.  He 
opened  the  feed-pipe,  and  let  the  gasoline  again 
flow  in.  The  launch  was  now  so  near  that  Orme 
could  almost  have  leaped  the  gap,  but  the  Jap 
anese  bent  his  energy  to  the  heavy  fly-wheel,  tug 
ging  at  it  hurriedly. 

The  motor  started.     The  boat  began  to  move. 

Even  now  it  looked  as  though  the  collision  could 
not  be  prevented,  but  the  Japanese,  seizing  the 


126       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

steering-wheel,  turned  the  boat  so  quickly  to  star 
board  that  the  stern  fell  away  from  the  bow  of 
the  approaching  launch.  There  was  no  crash,  no 
hard  bump ;  merely  a  glancing  blow  so  slight  that 
in  that  calm  water  it  scarcely  made  the  boats 
careen. 

Then  Orme  threw  his  noose.  The  distance  was 
less  than  ten  feet,  and  the  loop  spread,  quick  and 
true,  over  the  head  of  the  Japanese.  But,  swift 
though  the  action  was,  the  Japanese  had  an  instant 
to  prepare  himself.  His  right  arm  shot  up.  As 
Orme,  jerking  at  the  rope,  tried  to  tighten  the 
noose,  the  hand  of  the  Japanese  pushed  it  over 
his  head  and  it  slid  over  the  side  into  the  water. 
In  a  few  seconds  the  swift  boat  had  disappeared  in 
the  night. 

Tightening  his  lips  grimly,  Orme  drew  the  wet 
rope  in  and  mechanically  coiled  it.  There  was 
nothing  to  say.  He  had  failed.  So  good  an  op 
portunity  to  recover  the  papers  would  hardly 
return. 

Silently  he  turned  back  to  the  others.  Porter, 
had  swung  the  launch  around  and  was  heading 
toward  the  distant  lights  of  Evanston.  The  girl 
was  peering  in  the  direction  whence  came  the  sound 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          127 

of  the  receding  boat.  Thus,  for  some  time  they 
remained  silent. 

At  last  the  girl  broke  into  a  laugh.  It  was  a 
rippling,  silvery  laugh,  expressing  an  infectious 
appreciation  of  the  humor  of  their  situation. 
Orme  chuckled  in  spite  of  himself.  If  she  could 
laugh  like  that,  he  need  not  stay  in  the  dumps. 
And  yet  in  his  mind  rankled  the  sense  of  failure. 
He  had  made  a  poor  showing  before  her — and  she 
was  laughing.  Again  the  corners  of  his  mouth 
drew  down. 

"  I  suppose  the  notion  is  amusing,"  he  said — "  a 
cowboy  at  sea." 

"  Oh,  I  was  not  laughing  at  you."  She  had 
sobered  quickly  at  his  words. 

"  I  shouldn't  blame  you,  if  you  did." 

"  It  is  the  whole  situation,"  she  went  on.  "  And 
it  wouldn't  be  so  funny,  if  it  weren't  so  serious." 

"  I  appreciate  it,"  he  said. 

"  And  you  know  how  serious  it  is,"  she  went  on. 
"  But  truly,  Mr.  Orme,  I  am  glad  that  we  did  not 
damage  that  boat.  It  might  have  been  terrible. 

If  he  had  been  drowned "  her  voice  trailed  off 

in  a  faint  shudder,  and  Orme  remembered  how  tired 
she  must  be,  and  how  deeply  disappointed. 


128      THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Now,  Girl,"  he  said,  bending  over  her  and 
speaking  in  a  low  voice,  "  try  to  forget  it.  To 
morrow  I  am  going  after  the  papers.  I  will  get 
them." 

She  looked  up  at  him.  Her  eyes  were  softly 
confident.  "  I  believe  you,"  she  whispered.  "  You 
never  give  up,  do  you?  " 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  I  never  give  up — when  I  am 
striving  for  something  which  I  greatly  want." 
There  was  meaning  in  his  voice,  though  he  had 
struggled  to  conceal  it.  She  lowered  her  eyes, 
and  said  no  more. 

Slowly  the  lights  of  shore  grew  brighter.  After 
a  time  Orme  could  distinguish  the  masses  of  trees 
and  buildings,  grayly  illuminated  by  the  arc-lamps 
of  the  streets.  He  spoke  to  Porter  in  an  under 
tone. 

"  Can  you  land  us  some  distance  south  of  the 
life-saving  station?"  he  asked. 

"  Sure.     I'll  run  in  by  the  Davis  Street  pier." 

"I'll  be  obliged  to  you,"  Orme  sighed.  "I 
made  a  bad  mess  of  it,  didn't  I?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  life-saver. 
"  We  got  the  lady." 

Orme  started.     "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  we  got  the 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          129 

lady — and  that's  more  important  than  all  the  rest 
of  it." 

Porter  grinned  a  noncommittal  grin  and  de 
voted  himself  to  the  wheel. 

They  had  saved  the  girl!  In  his  disappoint 
ment  over  the  escape  of  the  Japanese  Orme  had 
forgotten,  but  now  he  silently  thanked  God  that 
Porter  and  he  had  come  out  on  the  water.  The 
girl  had  not  yet  explained  her  presence  in  the 
boat.  In  her  own  good  time  she  would  tell  him. 
But  she  had  been  there  under  compulsion ;  and 
Orme  shuddered  to  think  what  might  have  hap 
pened. 

He  stole  a  glance  at  her.  She  was  leaning 
back  on  the  seat.  Her  eyes  were  closed  and  her 
pose  indicated  complete  relaxation,  though  it  was 
evident  from  her  breathing  that  she  was  not  asleep. 
Orme  marveled  at  her  ability  to  push  the  nervous 
excitement  of  the  evening  away  and  snatch  the 
brief  chance  of  rest. 

When  at  last  the  launch  ran  up  under  the  end 
of  a  little  breakwater  near  the  Davis  Street  pier, 
she  arose  quickly  and  sprang  out  of  the  boat  with 
out  help.  Then  she  turned,  as  Orme  stepped  up 
beside  her,  and  spoke  to  Porter.  "  If  you  and 


130       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Mr.  Orme  had  not  come  after  me,"  she  said, 
*'  there's  no  telling  whether  I  should  ever  have  got 
back.  I  should  like  to  shake  hands  with  you,"  she 
added;  and  bending  down,  she  held  out  her  firm 
white  hand. 

Then  Orme  laid  his  hand  on  the  life-saver's 
shoulder.  "  You've  done  a  piece  of  good  work 
to-night,"  he  said. 

Porter  laughed  embarrassedly.  "  I  only  ran 
the  boat  for  you,"  he  began. 

"  You  took  me  at  my  word,"  said  Orme,  "  and 
that's  a  good  deal  in  such  a  case.  Good-by.  I 
will  look  you  up  before  I  go  back  East." 

At  the  side  of  the  girl,  Orme  now  walked  slowly 
through  the  deserted  streets.  It  was  some  time 
before  she  spoke. 

"  After  you  left  me  at  the  home  of  my  friends — " 
she  began  at  last. 

"  Don't  try  to  tell  about  it,"  he  interrupted 
quickly.  "  You  are  tired.  Wait  for  another 
time." 

They  were  passing  under  a  street-lamp  at  the 
moment,  and  she  glanced  up  at  him  with  a  grateful 
smile,  pleased  apparently  by  his  thought  of  her. 

"  That  is  good  of  you,"  she  exclaimed,  "  but  my 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          131 

story  is  easily  told.  Let  me  go  on  with  it.  I  ex 
plained  myself  to  my  friends  as  best  I  could  and 
went  to  my  room.  Then  it  suddenly  occurred  to 
me  that  Maku  and  his  friend  might  have  come  to 
Evanston  by  boat." 

"  Just  as,  later,  it  occurred  to  me." 

"  I  thought  that  the  other  man  might  be  wait 
ing  for  Maku.  The  motor-car  that  we  heard — 
there  was  no  good  reason  for  thinking  that  our 
man  was  in  it." 

She  paused. 

"  I  know,"  he  said.  "  I  thought  of  those 
things,  too." 

"  It  flashed  on  me,"  she  went  on,  "  that  if  I 
could  find  the  man,  I  might  be  able  to  buy  him  off. 
I  didn't  believe  that  he  would  dare  to  injure  me. 
There  are  reasons  why  he  should  not.  My  car 
had  been  taken  in,  but  I  had  them  bring  it  out, 
and  I  told  them — well,  that  part  doesn't  matter. 
Enough  that  I  made  an  excuse,  and  went  out  with 
the  car." 

"  You  should  have  taken  someone  with  you." 

"  There  was  the  likelihood  that  the  Japanese 
would  run,  if  I  had  a  companion.  As  long  as  I 
was  alone,  he  might  be  willing  to  parley,  I 


132       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

thought.  At  least,  he  would  not  be  afraid  of  me 
alone.  So  I  went  north  on  Sheridan  Road  to  the 
upper  end  of  the  lower  campus.  There  is  a  cross 
road  there,  you  remember,  cutting  through  to  the 
lake,  and  I  turned  in.  I  left  the  car  near  a  house 
that  is  there,  and  walked  on  to  the  edge  of  the 
bluff. 

"  Moored  to  a  breakwater  below  was  a  boat, 
and  a  man  was  standing  near  her.  I  called  out  to 
him,  asking  what  time  it  was.  He  answered, 
*  Don'  know,'  and  I  knew  him  at  once  to  be  for 
eign  and,  probably,  Japanese.  So  I  went  down 
toward  him. 

"  When  he  saw  that  I  was  coming,  he  got  into 
the  boat.  He  seemed  to  be  frightened  and  hur 
ried,  and  I  inferred  that  he  was  about  to  cast  off, 
and  I  called  out  that  I  was  alone.  At  that  he 
waited,  but  he  did  not  get  out  of  the  boat,  and  I 
was  standing  at  the  edge  of  the  breakwater,  just 
above  him,  before  he  actually  seemed  to  recognize 
me." 

"  Did  you  know  him  ?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  I  never  saw  him  before  to  my  knowledge ;  but 
he  made  an  exclamation  which  indicated  that  he 
knew  me." 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          133 

"What  did  he  do  then?" 

"  I  told  him  that  I  wished  to  talk  to  him  about 
the  papers.  His  answer  was  that,  if  I  would  step 
down  into  the  boat,  he  would  talk.  He  said  that 
he  would  not  leave  the  boat,  and  added  that  he  was 
unwilling  to  discuss  the  matter  aloud.  And  I 
was  foolish  enough  to  believe  his  excuses.  If  he 
wished  to  whisper,  I  said  to  myself,  why,  I  would 
whisper.  I  never  felt  so  like  a  conspirator." 

She  paused  to  look  up  at  the  street-sign  at  the 
corner  which  they  had  reached,  and  turned  to  the 
right  on  a  shady  avenue. 

"  Well,  I  got  into  the  boat,"  she  continued.  "  I 
told  him  that  I — my  father  was  prepared  to  pay 
him  a  large  sum  of  money  for  the  papers,  but  he 
only  shook  his  head  and  said,  *  No,  no.'  I  named 
a  sum ;  then  a  larger  one ;  but  money  did  not  seem 
to  tempt  him,  though  I  made  the  second  offer  as 
large  as  I  dared. 

"  *  How  much  will  you  take  then  ?  '  I  asked  at 
last.  Instead  of  answering,  he  bent  down  and 
started  the  motor,  and  then  I  noticed  for  the  first 
time  that  while  I  was  talking  we  had  been  drifting 
away  from  the  dock.  I  made  ready  to  jump  over 
board.  We  were  near  the  shore,  and  the  water 


134       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BELL 

was  not  deep ;  anyway,  I  am  a  fair  swimmer. 
But  he  turned  and  seized  my  wrists  and  forced  me 
down  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  I  struggled, 
but  it  was  no  use,  and  when  I  opened  my  mouth  to 
scream,  he  choked  me  with  one  hand  and  with  the 
other  pulled  from  his  pocket  a  handkerchief  and 
tried  to  put  it  in  my  mouth." 

She  gave  a  weary  little  laugh. 

"  It  was  such  a  crumpled,  unclean  handkerchief, 
I  couldn't  have  stood  it.  So  I  managed  to  gasp 
that,  if  he  would  only  let  me  alone,  I  would  keep 
quiet." 

"  The  brute !  "  muttered  Orme. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  he  intended  to  hurt  me. 
What  he  feared,  as  nearly  as  I  can  make  out,  is 
that  I  might  have  him  intercepted  if  he  let  me  go 
free.  That  must  have  been  why  he  tried  to  take 
me  with  him.  Probably  he  planned  to  beach  the 
boat  at  some  unfrequented  point  on  the  North 
Side  and  leave  me  to  shift  for  myself. 

"  When  your  boat  came,  of  course  I  didn't 
know  who  was  in  it.  I  never  dreamed  it  would  be 
you.  And  I  had  promised  to  keep  still." 

"  Hardly  a  binding  promise." 

"  Well,  before  he  stopped  threatening  me  with 


A    JAPANESE    AT    LARGE          135 

that  awful  handkerchief,  he  had  made  me  swear 
over  and  over  that  I  would  not  call  for  help,  that 
I  would  not  make  any  signal,  that  I  would  sit 
quietly  on  the  seat.  When  you  recognized  me,  I 
felt  that  all  need  of  observing  the  promise  was 
over." 

"  Naturally,"  muttered  Orme. 

She  sighed.  "  It  does  seem  as  though  Fate  had 
been  against  us,"  she  said. 

"  Fate  is  fickle,"  Orme  returned.  "  You  never 
know  whether  she  will  be  your  friend  or  your 
enemy.  But  I  believe  that  she  is  now  going  to  be 
our  friend — for  a  change.  To-morrow  I  shall 
get  those  papers." 


CHAPTER    VIII 

THE    TRAIL   OF    MAKTJ 

WHEN  for  the  second  time  that  night  he  bade  the 
girl  adieu  and  saw  her  enter  the  house  of  her 
friends,  Orme  went  briskly  to  the  electric-car  line. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait.  A  -car  came  racing 
down  the  tracks  and  stopped  at  his  corner.  Swing 
ing  aboard  at  the  rear  platform,  he  glanced  within. 
There  were  four  passengers — a  man  and  woman 
who,  apparently,  were  returning  from  an  evening 
party  of  some  sort,  since  he  was  in  evening  dress 
and  she  wore  an  opera-cloak;  a  spectacled  man, 
with  a  black  portfolio  in  his  lap ;  a  seedy  fellow 
asleep  in  one  corner,  his  head  sagging  down  on 
his  breast,  his  hands  in  his  trousers  pockets  ;  and — 
was  it  possible?  Orme  began  to  think  that  Fate 
had  indeed  changed  her  face  toward  him,  for  the 
man  who  sat  huddled  midway  of  the  car,  staring 
straight  before  him  with  beady,  expressionless 
eyes,  was  Maku. 

Under  the  brim  of  his  dingy  straw  hat  a  white 
bandage  was  drawn  tight  around  his  head — so 
136 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  137 

tight  that  from  its  under  edge  the  coarse  black 
hair  bristled  out  in  a  distinct  fringe.  The  blow 
of  the  wrench,  then,  must  have  cut  through  the 
skin. 

Well — that  would  mean  one  more  scar  on  the 
face  of  the  Japanese. 

The  other  scar,  how  had  Maku  come  by  that? 
Perhaps  in  some  battle  with  the  Russians  in  Man 
churia.  He  seemed  to  be  little  more  than  a  boy, 
but  then,  one  never  could  guess  the  age  of  a  Jap 
anese,  and  for  that  matter,  Orme  had  more  than 
once  been  told  that  the  Japanese  had  begun  to 
impress  very  young  soldiers  long  before  the  battle 
of  Mukden. 

While  making  these  observations,  Orme  had! 
drawn  his  hat  lower  over  his  eyes.  He  hoped  to 
escape  recognition,  for  this  opportunity  to  track 
Maku  to  his  destination  was  not  to  be  missed.  He 
also  placed  himself  in  such  a  position  on  the  plat 
form  that  his  own  face  was  partly  concealed  by 
the  cross-bars  which  protected  the  windows  at  the 
end  of  the  car. 

In  his  favor  was  the  fact  that  Maku  would  not 
expect  to  see  him.  Doubtless  the  Japanese  was 
more  concerned  with  his  aching  head  than  with 


138       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

any  suspicion  of  pursuit,  though  his  somewhat  in 
determinate  profile,  as  visible  to  Orme,  gave  no 
indication  of  any  feeling  at  all.  So  Orme  stood 
where  he  could  watch  without  seeming  to  watch, 
and  puzzled  over  the  problem  of  following  Maku 
from  the  car  without  attracting  attention. 

The  refusal  of  the  other  Japanese  to  accept 
the  girl's  offer  of  money  for  the  papers  had  given 
Orme  a  new  idea  of  the  importance  of  the  quest. 
Maku  and  his  friend  must  be  Japanese  government 
agents — just  as  Poritol  and  Alcatrante  were  un 
questionably  acting  for  their  government.  This, 
at  least,  was  the  most  probable  explanation  that 
entered  Orme's  mind.  The  syndicate,  then, — or 
concession,  or  whatever  it  was — must  be  of  gen 
uine  international  significance. 

Though  Orme  continued  to  smother  his  curious 
questionings  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  secret,  he 
could  not  ignore  his  general  surmises.  To  put 
his  confidence  in  the  girl — to  act  for  her  and  for 
her  alone — that  was  enough  for  him ;  but  it  added 
to  his  happiness  to  think  that  she  might  be  leading 
him  into  an  affair  which  was  greater  than  any 
mere  tangle  of  private  interests.  He  knew  too, 
that,  upon  the  mesh  of  private  interests,  public 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  139 

interests  are  usually  woven.  The  activity  of  a 
Russian  syndicate  in  Korea  had  been  the  more  or 
less  direct  cause  of  the  Russo-Japanese  War;  the 
activity  of  rival  American  syndicates  in  Venezuela 
had  been,  but  a  few  years  before,  productive  of 
serious  international  complications.  In  the  present 
instance,  both  South  Americans  and  Japanese  were 
interested.  But  Orme  knew  in  his  soul  that  there 
could  be  nothing  unworthy  in  any  action  in  which 
the  girl  took  part.  She  would  not  only  do  noth 
ing  unworthy ;  she  would  understand  the  situation 
clearly  enough  to  know  whether  the  course  which 
offered  itself  to  her  was  worthy  or  not. 

In  events  such  as  she  had  that  night  faced  with 
him,  any  other  girl  Orme  had  ever  met  would  have 
shown  moments  of  weakness,  impatience,  or  fear. 
But  to  her  belonged  a  calm  which  came  from  a 
clear  perception  of  the  comparative  unimportance 
of  petty  incident.  She  was  strong,  not  as  a  man 
is  strong,  but  in  the  way  a  woman  should  be 
strong. 

The  blood  went  to  his  cheeks  as  he  remem 
bered  how  tenderly  he  had  spoken  to  her  in  the 
boat,  and  how  plain  he  had  made  his  desire  for 
her.  What  should  he  call  his  feeling:?  Did  love 


140       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

come  to  men  as  suddenly  as  this?  She  had  not 
rebuked  him — there  was  that  much  to  be  thankful 
for ;  and  she  must  have  known  that  his  words  were 
as  involuntary  as  his  action  in  touching  her  shoul 
der  with  his  hand. 

But  how  could  she  have  rebuked  him?  She  was, 
in  a  way,  indebted  to  him.  The  thought  troubled 
him.  Had  he  unintentionally  taken  advan 
tage  of  her  gratitude  by  showing  affection  when 
she  wished  no  more  than  comradeship?  And  had 
she  gently  said  nothing,  because  he  had  done  some 
thing  for  her?  If  her  patience  with  him  were  thus 
to  be  explained,  it  must  have  been  based  upon  her 
recognition  of  his  unconsciousness. 

Still,  the  more  he  pondered,  the  more  clearly 
he  saw  that  she  was  not  a  girl  who,  under  the 
spell  of  friendly  good  will,  would  permit  a  false 
situation  to  exist.  Her  sincerity  was  too  deep 
for  such  a  glossing  of  fact.  He  dared  assume, 
then,  that  her  sympathy  with  him  went  even  so 
far  as  to  accept  his  attitude  when  it  was  a  shade 
more  than  friendly. 

More  than  friendly!  Like  a  white  light,  the 
truth  flashed  upon  him  as  he  stood  there  on  the 
rocking  platform  of  the  car.  He  and  she  would 


THE  TRAIL  OF  MAKU  141 

have  to  be  more  than  friendly!  He  had  never 
seen  her  until  that  day.  He  did  not  even  know 
her  name.  But  all  his  life  belonged  to  her,  and 
would  belong  to  her  forever.  The  miracle  which 
had  been  worked  upon  him,  might  it  not  also  have 
been  worked  upon  her?  He  felt  unworthy,  and 
yet  she  might  care — might  already  have  begun  to 
care — But  he  put  the  daring  hope  out  of  his  mind, 
and  looked  again  at  Maku. 

The  Japanese  had  not  moved.  His  face  still 
wore  its  racial  look  of  patient  indifference;  his 
hands  were  still  crossed  in  his  lap.  He  sat  on  the 
edge  of  the  seat,  in  order  that  his  feet  might  rest 
on  the  floor,  for  his  legs  were  short;  and  with 
every  lurch  of  the  car,  he  swayed  easily,  adapting 
himself  to  the  motion  with  an  unconscious  ease 
that  betrayed  supple  muscles. 

The  car  stopped  at  a  corner  and  the  man  and 
woman  got  out,  but  Maku  did  not  even  seem  to 
glance  at  them.  Orme  stepped  back  to  make  way 
for  them  on  the  platform,  and  as  they  descended 
and  the  conductor  rang  the  bell,  he  looked  out  at 
the  suburban  landscape,  with  its  well-lighted,  mac 
adamized  streets,  its  vacant  lots,  and  its  oc 
casional  houses,  which  seemed  to  be  of  the  better 


142       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

class,  as  nearly  as  he  -could  judge  in  the  uncer 
tain  rays  of  the  arc-lamps.  He  turned  to  the 
conductor,  who  met  his  glance  with  the  look  of 
one  who  thirsts  to  talk. 

"  People  used  to  go  to  parties  in  carriages  and 
automobiles,"  said  the  conductor,  "  but  now  they 
take  the  car  when  they've  any  distance  to  go. 
It's  quicker  and  handier." 

"  I  should  think  that  would  be  so,  here  in  the 
suburbs,"  said  Orme. 

"  Oh,  this  ain't  the  suburbs.  We  crossed  the 
city  limits  twenty  minutes  ago." 

"  You  don't  carry  many  passengers  this  time 
of  night." 

"  That  depends.  Sometimes  we  have  a  crowd. 
To-night  there's  hardly  anyone.  Nobody  else  is 
likely  to  get  on  now." 

"Why  is  that?" 

"  Well,  it's  only  a  short  way  now  to  the  connec 
tion  with  the  elevated  road.  People  who  want  to  go 
the  rest  of  the  way  by  the  elevated,  would  walk. 
[And  after  we  pass  the  elevated  there's  other  car- 
lines  they're  more  likely  to  take,  where  the  cars 
run  frequenter." 

"  Do  you  go  to  the  heart  of  the  city?  " 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  143 

"  No,  we  stop  at  the  barns.  Say,  have  you 
noticed  that  Jap  in  there?  " 

The  conductor  nodded  toward  Maku. 

"What  about  him?" 

"  He  was  put  aboard  by  a  cop.  Looks  as  though 
somebody  had  slugged  him." 

"  That's  so,"  commented  Orme.  "  His  head  is 
bandaged." 

"  Judging  from  the  bandage,  it  must  have  been 
a  nasty  crack,"  continued  the  conductor.  "  But 
you  wouldn't  know  he'd  been  hurt  from  his  face. 
Say,  you  can't  tell  anything  about  those  Johns 
from  their  looks,  can  you,  now?  " 

"  You  certainly  can't,"  replied  Orme. 

The  conductor  glanced  out.  "  There's  the 
elevated,"  he  said.  "  I'll  have  to  go  in  and  wake 
that  drunk.  He  gets  off  here." 

Orme  watched  the  conductor  go  to  the  man  who 
was  sleeping  in  the  corner  and  shake  him.  The 
man  nodded  his  head  vaguely,  and  settled  back  into 
slumber.  Through  the  open  door  came  the  con 
ductor's  voice :  "  Wake  up !  " — Shake — "  You  get 
off  here !  "—Shake— "  Wake  up,  there!"  But 
the  man  would  not  awaken. 

Maku  was  sitting  but  a  few  feet  from  the  sleep- 


144*       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

ing  man.  He  had  not  appeared  to  notice  what  was 
going  on,  but  now,  just  as  the  conductor  seemed 
about  to  appeal  to  the  motorman  for  help,  the 
little  Japanese  slid  along  the  seat  and  said  to 
the  conductor:  "  I  wake  him." 

The  conductor  stared,  and  scratched  his  head. 
"  If  you  can,"  he  remarked,  "  it's  more'n  I  can 
do." 

Maku  did  not  answer,  but  putting  his  hand  be 
hind  the  sleeping  man's  back,  found  some  sensi 
tive  vertebra.  With  a  yell,  the  man  awoke  and 
leaped  to  his  feet.  The  conductor  seized  him  by 
the  arm  and  led  him  to  the  platform. 

The  car  was  already  slowing  down,  but  without 
waiting  for  it  to  stop,  the  fellow  launched  him 
self  into  the  night,  being  preserved  from  falling 
by  the  god  of  alcohol,  and  stumbled  away  toward 
the  sidewalk. 

"  Did  you  see  the  Jap  ?  "  exclaimed  the  con 
ductor.  "  Stuck  a  pin  into  him,  that's  what  he 
did." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  not,"  laughed  Orme.  "  He  touched 
his  spine,  that  was  all." 

The  car  stopped.  The  spectacled  passenger 
with  the  portfolio  arose  and  got  off  by  way  of  the 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  145 

front  platform.  Would  Maku  also  take  the  ele 
vated?  If  he  did,  unless  he  also  got  off  the  front 
platform,  Orme  would  have  to  act  quickly  to  keep 
out  of  sight. 

But  Maku  made  no  move.  He  had  returned  to 
his  former  position,  and  only  the  trace  of  an  elu 
sive  smile  on  his  lips  showed  that  he  had  not  for 
gotten  the  incident  in  which  he  had  just  taken 
part.  Meantime  Orme  had  maintained  his  partial 
concealment,  and  though  Maku  had  turned  his 
head  when  he  went  to  the  conductor's  help,  he  had 
not  appeared  to  glance  toward  the  back  platform. 

The  conductor  rang  the  bell,  and  the  car  started 
forward  again  with  its  two  passengers — Maku 
within,  Orme  without — the  pursuer  and  the  pur 
sued. 

"  I  thought  the  motorman  and  I  was  going  to 
have  to  chuck  that  chap  off,"  commented  the  con 
ductor.  "  If  the  Jap  hadn't  stuck  a  pin  into 
him " 

"  I  don't  think  it  was  a  pin.  The  Japanese  know 
where  to  touch  you  so  that  it  will  hurt." 

"  An'  I  didn't  even  like  to  rub  the  fellow's  ears 
for  fear  of  hurtin'  him.  I  heard  of  a  man  that 
was  made  deaf  that  way.  Smashed  his  ear-drums." 


146       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  I  wonder  where  the  Jap  will  get  off?  "  said 
Orme. 

"  Oh,  he'll  go  right  through  to  the  barns  and 
take  a  Clark  Street  car.  There's  a  lot  of  them 
Japs  lives  over  that  way.  He'll  be  one  of  'em,  I 
guess." 

"  Unless  he's  somebody's  cook  or  valet." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  is.  But,  of  course,  you  never 
know." 

"  That's  true,"  said  Orme.    "  One  never  knows." 

As  the  car  plunged  onward,  Maku  suddenly  put 
his  hand  in  his  pocket.  He  drew  it  out  empty. 
On  his  face  was  an  expression  which  may  mean 
"  surprise,"  among  the  Japanese.  He  then  fum 
bled  in  his  other  pockets,  but  apparently  he  did  not 
find  what  he  was  looking  for.  Orme  wondered 
what  it  might  be. 

The  search  continued.  A  piece  of  twine,  a  pock 
et-knife,  a  handkerchief,  were  produced  in  turn 
and  inspected.  At  last  he  brought  out  a  green 
back,  glancing  at  it  twice  before  returning  it  to 
his  pocket.  Orme  knew  that  it  must  be  the  marked 
bill.  But  Maku  was  looking  for  something  else. 
His  cheek  glistened  with  perspiration ;  evidently 
he  had  lost  something  of  value.  After  a  time,  how- 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  147 

ever,  he  stopped  hunting  his  pockets,  and  seemed 
to  resign  himself  to  his  loss — a  fact  from  which 
Orme  gathered  that  the  object  of  his  search  was 
nothing  so  valuable  that  it  could  not  be  replaced. 

When  he  had  been  quiet  for  a  time,  he  again 
produced  the  greenback,  and  examined  it  atten 
tively.  From  the  way  he  held  it,  Orme  judged 
that  he  was  looking  at  the  well-remembered  legend : 
"Remember  Person  You  Pay  This  To."  Pres 
ently  he  turned  it  over  and  held  it  closer  to  his 
eyes.  He  was,  of  course,  looking  at  the  abbre 
viated  directions. 

"  You'd  think  that  Jap  had  never  seen  money 
before,"  remarked  the  conductor. 

"  Perhaps  he  hasn't — that  kind,"  replied  Orme. 

"  Maybe  he  guesses  it's  a  counterfeit." 

"  Maybe." 

"Looks  as  though  he  was  trying  to  read  the 
fine  print  on  it." 

"  Something  you  and  I  never  have  done,  I  imag 
ine,"  said  Orme. 

"  That's  a  fact,"  the  conductor  chuckled.  "  I 
never  noticed  anything  about  a  bill  except  the 
color  of  it  and  the  size  of  the  figure." 

"  Which  is  quite  enough  for  most  men." 


148       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Sure !  But  I  bet  I  pass  on  a  lot  of  counterfeits 
without  knowm'  it." 

"  Very  likely.  The  Jap  has  evidently  finished  his 
English  lesson.  See  how  carefully  he  folds  the 
bill  before  he  puts  it  away." 

"  We're  comin'  to  the  barns,"  said  the  con 
ductor.  "  Far  as  we  go." 

As  he  spoke,  the  car  slowed  down  and  stopped, 
and  Maku  arose  from  his  seat.  Orme.  was  at  the 
top  of  the  steps,  ready  to  swing  quickly  to  the 
ground,  if  Maku  left  the  car  by  the  rear  door. 
But  the  Japanese  turned  to  the  forward  entrance. 
Orme  waited  until  Maku  had  got  to  the  ground, 
then  he,  too,  descended. 

Maku  did  not  turn  at  once  toward  the  Clark 
Street  car  that  was  waiting  to  start  down-town. 
He  stood  hesitant  in  the  street.  After  a  moment, 
his  attention  seemed  to  be  attracted  by  the  lights 
of  an  all-night  restaurant,  not  far  away,  and  he 
crossed  the  street  and  walked  rapidly  to  the  gleam 
ing  sign. 

Orme  followed  slowly,  keeping  on  the  other  side 
of  the  street.  If  Maku  was  hungry,  why,  Maku 
would  eat,  while  he  himself  would  wait  outside  like 
a  starving  child  before  a  baker's  window.  But 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  149 

Maku,  it  seemed,  was  not  hungry.  Through  the 
window  Orme  saw  him  walk  to  the  cashier's  desk 
and  apparently  ask  a  question.  In  answer,  the 
woman  behind  the  desk  pointed  to  a  huge  book 
which  lay  on  the  counter  near  by.  Orme  recog 
nized  it  as  the  city  directory. 

For  some  time  Maku  studied  the  pages.  Then 
he  seemed  to  appeal  to  the  cashier  for  help,  for 
she  pulled  the  book  to  her,  looked  at  him  as  though 
she  were  asking  a  question,  and  then,  rapidly  run 
ning  through  the  leaves,  placed  her  finger  at  a 
certain  part  of  a  certain  page  and  turned  the 
book  around  so  that  the  Japanese  could  see.  He 
nodded  and,  after  bowing  in  a  curious  fashion, 
came  back  to  the  street. 

Orme  had,  meantime,  walked  on  for  a  little  way. 
He  would  have  gone  to  the  restaurant  in  an  en 
deavor  to  find  out  what  address  Maku  had  wished, 
but  for  two  reasons :  The  cashier  might  refuse  to 
tell  him,  or  she  might  have  forgotten  the  name. 
In  either  event  his  opportunity  to  follow  Maku 
would  thus  be  lost — and  to  follow  Maku  was  still 
his  best  course.  Accordingly  he  watched  the  Jap 
anese  go  back  to  a  Clark  Street  car  and  climb 
aboard. 


150       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

It  was  an  open  car,  with  transverse  seats,  and 
Maku  had  chosen  a  position  about  two-thirds  of 
the  way  back.  There  was,  as  yet,  only  one  other 
passenger.  How  to  get  aboard  without  being  seen 
by  Maku  was  a  hard  problem  for  Orme,  but  he 
solved  it  by  taking  a  chance.  Walking  rapidly 
toward  the  next  corner,  away  from  the  car,  he 
got  out  of  the  direct  rays  of  the  street-lamp, 
and  waited. 

Presently  the  car  started.  It  almost  reached 
Orme's  corner  when  he  signaled  it  and,  hurrying 
into  the  street,  swung  on  to  the  back  platform. 

There  had  been  barely  time  for  the  car  to  slow 
down  a  little.  Maku  could  not  well  have  seen  him 
without  turning  his  head,  and  Orme  had  watched 
the  little  Japanese  closely  enough  to  know  that  he 
had  continued  to  stare  straight  before  him. 

Safe  on  the  back  platform,  a  desire  to  smoke 
came  to  Orme.  He  found  a  cigar  in  his  case  and 
lighted  it.  While  he  was  shielding  the  match,  he 
looked  over  his  hollowed  hand  and  saw  Maku  pro 
duce  a  cigarette  and  light  it.  The  Japanese  had 
apparently  wished  the  consolation  of  tobacco  just 
as  Orme  had. 

"  An    odd   coincidence,"    muttered   Orme.      "  I 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  151 

hope  it  wasn't  mind-reading."  And  he  smiled  as 
he  drew  a  mouthful  of  smoke. 

Lincoln  Park  slid  by  them  on  the  left.  The  car 
was  getting  well  down  into  the  city.  Suddenly 
Maku  worked  along  to  the  end  of  his  seat  and  got 
down  on  the  running-board.  The  conductor  pulled 
the  bell.  The  car  stopped  and  the  Oriental 
jumped  off. 

The  action  had  been  so  quick  that  Orme,  taken 
off  his  guard,  had  not  had  time  to  get  off  first. 
He,  therefore,  remained  on  the  car,  which  began 
to  move  forward  again.  Looking  after  Maku,  he 
saw  that  the  Japanese,  glancing  neither  to  right 
nor  to  left,  was  making  off  down  the  side  street,  go 
ing  west;  so  he  in  turn  stepped  to  the  street,  just 
as  Maku  disappeared  beyond  the  corner.  He  hur 
ried  quickly  to  the  side  street  and  saw  Maku,  half 
a  block  ahead,  walking  with  short,  rapid  steps. 
How  had  Maku  got  so  far?  He  must  have  run 
while  Orme  was  retracing  the  way  to  the  corner. 
And  yet  Maku  seemed  to  have  had  no  suspicion 
that  he  was  being  followed. 

The  chase  led  quickly  to  a  district  of  poor 
houses  and  shops — an  ill-looking,  ill-smelling  dis 
trict,  where  every  shadow  seemed  ominous.  When- 


152       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

ever  they  approached  a  corner,  Orme  hurried  for 
ward,  running  on  his  toes,  to  shorten  the  distance 
in  the  event  that  Maku  turned,  but  the  course  con 
tinued  straight  until  Orme  began  to  wonder 
whether  they  were  not  getting  near  to  the  river, 
one  branch  of  which,  he  knew,  ran  north  through 
the  city. 

At  last  Maku  turned  into  an  alley,  which  cut 
through  the  middle  of  a  block.  This  was  some 
thing  which  Orme  had  not  expected.  He  ran  for 
ward  and  peered  down  the  dark,  unpleasant  pas 
sage.  There  was  his  man,  barely  visible,  picking 
a  careful  way  through  the  ash-heaps  and  avoiding 
the  pestilential  garbage-cans. 

Orme  followed,  and  when  Maku  turned  west 
again  at  the  next  street,  swung  rapidly  after  him 
and  around  the  corner,  with  the  full  expectation 
of  seeing  him  hurrying  along,  half  a  block  away. 
But  no  one  was  in  sight.  Had  he  slipped  into 
one  of  the  near-by  buildings? 

While  Orme  was  puzzling,  a  voice  at  his  elbow 
said,  "Hello!" 

He  turned  with  a  start.  Flattened  in  a  shadowed 
niche  of  the  wall  beside  him  was  Maku ! 

"  Hello !  "  the  Japanese  said  again. 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  153 

"Well?"  exclaimed  Orme  sharply,  trying  to 
make  the  best  of  the  situation. 

"  You  mus'  not  follow  me."  The  Japanese 
spoke  impassively. 

"Follow  you?" 

"  I  saw  you  in  a  mirror  at  the  other  end  of  car." 

So  that  was  it!  Orme  remembered  no  mirror, 
but  the  Japanese  might  apply  the  word  to  the 
reflecting  surface  of  one  of  the  forward  windows. 

"  You  lit  a  match,"  continued  Maku.  "  I  saw. 
Then  I  come  here,  to  find  if  you  follow." 

Orme  considered.  Now  that  he  was  discovered, 
it  would  be  futile  to  continue  the  chase,  since 
Maku,  naturally,  would  not  go  to  his  destination 
with  Orme  at  his  heels  But  he  said: 

"  You  can't  order  me  off  the  streets,  Maku." 

"  I  know.  If  you  follow,  then  we  walk  an'  walk 
an'  walk — mebbe  till  nex'  week."  Orme  swore  un 
der  his  breath.  It  was  quite  clear  that  the  little 
Japanese  would  never  rejoin  the  man  who  had  the 
papers  until  he  was  sure  that  he  had  shaken  off  his 
pursuer.  So  Orme  simply  said : 

"  Good-night." 

Disappointed,  baffled,  he  turned  eastward  and 
walked  with  long  strides  back  toward  the  car- 


154-       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

line.  He  did  not  look  to  see  whether  Maku  was 
behind  him.  That  did  not  matter  now.  He  had 
missed  his  second  opportunity  since  the  other  Jap 
anese  escaped  him  in  the  university  campus. 

Crossing  North  Clark  Street  a  block  north  of 
the  point  at  which  he  and  Maku  had  left  the  car, 
he  continued  lakeward,  coming  out  on  the  drive 
only  a  short  distance  from  the  Pere  Marquette, 
and  a  few  minutes  later,  after  giving  the  elevator- 
boy  orders  to  call  him  at  eight  in  the  morning,  he 
was  in  his  apartment,  with  the  prospect  of  four 
hours  of  sleep. 

But  there  was  a  final  question :  Should  he  return 
to  the  all-night  restaurant  near  the  car-barns  and 
try  to  learn  from  the  cashier  the  address  which 
Maku  had  sought?  Surely  she  would  have  for 
gotten  the  name  by  this  time.  Perhaps  it  was  a 
Japanese  name,  and,  therefore,  the  harder  to  re 
member.  True,  she  might  remember  it ;  if  it  were 
a  peculiar  combination  of  letters,  the  very  pecu-i 
liarity  might  have  fixed  it  in  her  mind.  And  if  he 
hesitated  to  go  back  there  now,  the  slim  chance 
that  the  name  remained  with  her  would  grow 
slimmer  with  every  added  moment  of  delay.  He 
felt  that  he  ought  to  go.  He  was  dog-tired,  but — 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  155 

he  remembered  the  girl's  anxiety.  Yes,  he  would 
go ;  with  the  bare  possibility  that  the  cashier 
would  remember  and  would  be  willing  to  tell  him 
what  she  remembered,  he  would  go. 

He  took  up  his  hat  and  stepped  toward  the 
door.  At  that  moment  he  heard  a  sound  from 
his  bedroom.  It  was  an  unmistakable  snore.  He 
tip-toed  to  the  bedroom  door  and  peered  within. 
Seated  in  an  arm-chair  was  a  man.  He  was  dis 
tinctly  visible  in  the  light  which  came  in  from 
the  sitting-room,  and  it  was  quite  plain  that  he 
was  sound  asleep  and  breathing  heavily.  And  now 
for  the  second  time  his  palate  vibrated  with  the 
raucous  voice  of  sleep. 

Orme  switched  on  the  bedroom  lights.  The  man 
opened  his  eyes  and  started  from  the  chair. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  demanded  Orme. 

"  Why — the  detective,  of  course." 

"Detective?" 

"  Sure — regular  force." 

"  Regular  force?  " 

The  stranger  pulled  back  his  coat  and  dis 
played  his  nickeled  star. 

"  But  what  are  you  doing  here?  "  gasped  Orme, 
amazed. 


156       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Why,  a  foreign  fellow  came  to  the  chief  and 
said  you  wanted  a  man  to  keep  an  eye  on  your 
quarters  to-night — and  the  chief  sent  me.  I  was 
dozing  a  bit — but  I'm  a  light  sleeper.  I  wake  at 
the  least  noise." 

Orme  smiled  reminiscently,  thinking  of  the  snore. 
"  Tell  me,"  he  said,  "  was  it  Senhor  Alcatrante 
who  had  you  sent?  " 

"  I  believe  that  was  his  name."  He  was  slowly 
regaining  his  sleep-benumbed  wits.  "  That  re 
minds  me,"  he  continued.  "  He  gave  me  a  note 
for  you." 

An  envelope  was  produced  from  an  inside  pocket. 
Orme  took  it  and  tore  it  open.  The  sheet 
within  bore  the  caption,  "  Office  of  The  Chief  of 
Police,"  and  the  few  lines,  written  beneath  in  fine 
script,  were  as  follows : 

"  Dear  Mr.  Orme : 

"  You  will,  I  am  sure,  pardon  my  seeming 
over-anxiety  for  your  safety,  and  the  safety 
of  Poritol's  treasure,  but  I  cannot  resist  using  my 
influence  to  see  that  you  are  well-protected  to 
night  by  what  you  in  America  call  '  a  plain-clothes 
man.5  I  trust  that  he  will  frighten  away  the 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  157 

Yellow  Peril  and  permit  you  to  slumber  undis 
turbed.  If  you  do  not  wish  him  inside  your  apart 
ment,  he  will  sit  in  the  hall  outside  your  door. 

"  With    all    regard    for    your    continued   good 
health,  believe  me,  dear  Mr.  Orme, 
Yours,  etc.,  etc., 

"  PEDBO  ALCATRANTE." 

In  view  of  everything  that  had  happened  since 
the  note  was  penned,  Orme  smiled  a  grim  smile. 
Alcatrante  must  have  been  very  anxious  indeed; 
and  yet,  considering  that  the  minister  knew  noth 
ing  of  Orme's  encounter  with  the  Japanese  and 
his  meeting  with  the  girl,  the  sending  of  the  de 
tective  might  naturally  have  been  expected  to  pass 
as  an  impressive,  but  friendly,  precaution. 

The  detective  was  rapidly  losing  his  self-assur 
ance.  "  I  had  only  been  asleep  for  a  moment," 
he  said. 

"Yes?"  Orme  spoke  indifferently.  "Well,  you 
may  go  now.  There  is  no  longer  any  need  of  you 
here." 

"  But  my  instructions " 

"  Were  given  under  a  misapprehension.  My  re 
turn  makes  your  presence  unnecessary.  Good- 


153       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

night — or  good-morning,  rather."  He  nodded  to 
ward  the  door. 

The  detective  hesitated.  "  Look  a  here !  "  he 
suddenly  burst  out.  "  I  never  saw  you  before." 

"  Nor  I  you,"  replied  Orme. 

"  Then  how  do  I  know  that  you  are  Mr.  Orme? 
You  may  be  the  very  chap  I  was  to  keep  out,  far 
as  I  know." 

"  Sure  enough,  I  may  be,"  said  Orme  dryly, 
adding — "  But  I  am  not.  Now  go." 

The  detective  narrowed  his  eyebrows.  "  Not 
without  identification." 

"  Ask  the  night-clerk,"  exclaimed  Orme  impa 
tiently.  "  Can't  you  see  that  I  don't  wish  to  be 
bothered  any  longer  ?  " 

He  went  over  to  the  door  and  threw  it  open. 

"  Come,"  he  .continued.  "  Well,  here  then  "— 
as  the  detective  did  not  move — "  here's  my  card. 
That  ought  to  do  you." 

He  took  a  card  from  his  pocket-case  and  offered 
it  to  the  detective,  who,  after  scrutinizing  it  for  a 
moment,  let  it  fall  to  the  floor. 

"Oh,  it's  all  right,  I  guess,"  he  said.  "But 
what  shall  I  say  to  the  chief  ?  " 

"  Simply  say  that  I  didn't  need  you  any  longer." 


THE    TRAIL   OF   MAKU  159 

The  detective  picked  up  his  hat  and  went. 

"  Thank  Heaven !  "  exclaimed  Orme  as  he  closed 
the  door.  "  But  I  wonder  why  I  didn't  notice  his 
hat.  It  was  lying  here,  in  plain  sight.'* 

He  went  to  the  telephone  and  spoke  to  the 
clerk.  "  Did  you  let  that  detective  into  my  apart 
ment?  "  he  asked. 

"  Why,  yes,  Mr.  Orme.  He  was  one  of  the  regu 
lar  force,  and  he  said  that  you  wanted  him  here. 
I  called  up  the  chief's  office,  and  the  order  was 
corroborated.  I  meant  to  tell  you  when  you  came 
in,  but  you  passed  the  desk  just  while  I  was  down 
eating  my  supper.  The  elevator-boy  let  you  in, 
didn't  he?" 

"  Yes.    Never  mind,  it's  all  right.    Good-night." 

But  when  Orme  examined  his  traveling-bag,  he 
found  that  someone  had  evidently  made  a  search 
through  it.  Nothing  had  been  taken,  but  the  or 
derly  arrangement  of  his  effects  had  been  dis 
turbed.  His  conclusion  was  that  Alcatrante  had 
bribed  the  fellow  to  go  much  farther  than  official 
zeal  demanded.  Doubtless  the  minister  had  paid 
the  detective  to  hunt  for  a  marked  five-dollar  bill 
and  make  a  copy  of  whatever  was  written  on  it 
— which  would  have  been  quite  a  safe  proceeding 


160       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

for  the  detective,  if  he  were  not  caught  at  the 
task.  A  subtle  man,  Alcatrante;  but  no  subtler 
than  the  Japanese. 

Dismissing  the  incident  from  his  mind,  Orme 
again  made  ready  to  return  to  the  all-night  res 
taurant.  He  paused  at  the  door,  however,  to  give 
the  situation  a  final  analysis.  Maku  had  lost 
something.  After  hunting  for  it  vainly,  he  had 
gone  to  the  city  directory  for  information  which 
appeared  to  satisfy  him.  Then  what  he  lost  must 
have  been  an  address.  How  would  he  have  been 
likely  to  lose  it? 

Orme's  fatigue  was  so  great  that  he  repeated  the 
question  to  himself  several  times  without  seeing 
any  meaning  in  it.  He  forced  his  tired  brain  back 
to  the  first  statement.  Maku  had  lost  something. 
Yes,  he  had  lost  something.  What  was  it  he  had 
lost?  Oh,  yes,  a  paper. 

It  was  futile.    His  brain  refused  to  work. 

Maku  had  lost  a  paper.     A  paper? 

"  Ah !  "    Orme  was  awake  now. 

"  How  stupid !  "  he  exclaimed. 

For  he  had  entirely  forgotten  the  paper  which' 
he  had  taken  from  the  pocket  of  the  unconscious 
Maku,  there  on  the  campus!  He  had  thrust  it 


THE    TRAIL    OF    MAKU  161 

into  his  pocket  without  looking  at  it,  and  in  the 
excitement  of  his  later  adventures  it  had  passed 
utterly  from  his  memory. 

Another  moment  and  he  had  the  paper  in  his 
hand.  His  fingers  shook  as  he  unfolded  it,  and 
he  felt  angry  at  his  weakness.  Yes,  there  it  was 
— the  address — written  in  an  unformed  hand.  If 
he  had  only  thought  of  the  paper  before,  he  would 
have  been  saved  a  deal  of  trouble — would  have 
had  more  sleep.  He  read  it  over  several  times — 
"  Three  forty-one,  North  Parker  Street  " — so 
that  he  would  remember  it,  if  the  paper  should  be 
lost. 

"  I'm  glad  Maku  didn't  write  it  in  Japanese ! " 
he  exclaimed. 


CHAPTER  IX 

NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE 

WHEN  Orme  was  aroused  by  the  ringing  of  his 
telephone-bell  the  next  morning  and  heard  the 
clerk's  voice,  saying  over  the  wire,  "  Eight  o'clock, 
sir,"  it  seemed  as  if  he  had  been  asleep  but  a  few 
minutes. 

During  breakfast  he  reviewed  the  events  of  the 
preceding  evening.  Strange  and  varied  though 
they  had  been,  his  thoughts  chiefly  turned  to  the 
girl  herself,  and  he  shaped  all  his  plans  with  the 
idea  of  pleasing  her.  The  work  he  had  set  for 
himself  was  to  get  the  envelope  and  deliver  it  to 
the  girl.  This  plan  involved  the  finding  of  the  man 
who  had  escaped  from  the  tree. 

The  search  was  not  so  nearly  blind  as  it  would 
have  been  if  Orme  had  not  found  that  folded  slip 
of  paper  in  Maku's  pocket.  The  address,  "  three 
forty-one  North  Parker  Street,"  was  unquestion 
ably  the  destination  at  which  Maku  had  expected 
to  meet  friends. 

To  North  Parker  Street,  then,  Orme  prepared 

162 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     163 

to  go.  Much  as  he  longed  to  see  the  girl  again, 
he  was  glad  that  they  were  not  to  make  this  ad 
venture  together,  for  the  reputation  of  North 
Parker  Street  was  unsavory. 

Orme  found  his  way  readily  enough.  There 
was  not  far  to  go,  and  he  preferred  to  walk.  But 
before  he  reached  his  destination  he  remembered 
that  he  had  promised  Alcatrante  and  Poritol  to 
meet  them  at  his  apartment  at  ten  o'clock. 

His  obligation  to  the  two  South  Americans 
seemed  slight,  now  that  the  bill  had  passed  from 
his  hands  and  that  he  knew  the  nature  of  Poritol's 
actions.  Nevertheless,  he  was  a  man  of  his  word, 
and  he  hurried  back  to  the  Pere  Marquette,  for 
the  hour  was  close  to  ten.  He  was  influenced  to 
some  extent  by  the  thought  that  Poritol  and  Al 
catrante,  on  learning  how  he  had  been  robbed  of 
the  bill,  might  unwittingly  give  him  a  further 
clue. 

No  one  had  called  for  him.  He  waited  till  ten 
minutes  past  the  hour,  before  he  concluded  that  he 
had  fulfilled  his  part  of  the  bargain  with  them. 
Though  he  did  not  understand  it,  he  attached  no 
especial  significance  to  their  failure  to  appear. 

Once  again  he  went  to  North  Parker  Street. 


164       THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

Three  forty-one  proved  to  be  a  notion  shop. 
Through  the  window  he  saw  a  stout  woman  reading 
a  newspaper  behind  the  counter.  When  he  entered 
she  laid  the  paper  aside  and  arose  languidly,  as 
though  customers  were  rather  a  nuisance  than  a 
blessing.  She  was  forty,  but  not  fair. 

Orme  asked  to  see  a  set  of  studs.  She  drew  a 
box  from  a  show-case  and  spread  the  assortment 
before  him. 

He  selected  a  set  and  paid  her,  offering  a  ten- 
dollar  bill.  She  turned  to  a  cash  register  and 
made  change — which  included  a  five-dollar  bill. 

Orme  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes.  The  bill 
which  she  placed  in  his  hand  bore  the  written 
words :  "  Remember  Person  you  pay  this  to." 

He  turned  it  over.  In  the  corner  was  a  familiar 
set  of  abbreviations.  There  was  no  doubt  about 
it.  The  bill  was  the  same  which  had  been  taken 
from  him,  and  which  he  had  last  seen  in  the  pos 
session  of  Maku. 

What  an  insistent  piece  of  green  paper  that 
marked  bill  was !  It  had  started  him  on  this  re 
markable  series  of  adventures.  It  had  introduced 
excitable  little  Poritol  and  the  suave  Alcatrante 
to  his  apartment.  It  had  made  him  the  victim  of 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     165 

the  attack  by  the  two  Japanese.  It  had  brought 
the  girl  into  his  life.  And  now  it  came  again  into 
his  possession  just  at  the  moment  to  prove  that 
he  was  on  the  right  track  in  his  search  for  Maku 
and  the  man  who  had  the  papers.  The  queerest 
coincidence  was  that  the  bill  would  never  have  come 
into  his  possession  at  all,  had  it  not  been  for  his 
first  meeting  with  the  girl — who  at  that  very 
time  was  herself  searching  for  it.  The  rub 
bing  of  his  hat  against  the  wheel  of  her  car 
— on  so  little  thing  as  that  had  hinged  the 
events  that  followed. 

"  This  is  strange,"  Orme  addressed  the  woman. 

"  It  doesn't  hurt  it  any,"  said  the  woman,  in 
differently. 

"  I  know  that.  But  it's  a  curious  thing  just 
the  same." 

The  woman  raised  her  shoulders  slightly,  and 
began  to  put  away  the  stock  she  had  taken  out  for 
Orme's  benefit. 

"  Who  paid  this  to  you?  "  persisted  Orme. 

"  How  should  I  remember?  I  can't  keep  track 
of  all  the  persons  that  come  in  the  store  during 
the  day." 

"  But  I  should  think  that  anything  so  queer 


166       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

as  this "  He  saw  that  he  could  get  nothing 

from  her  except  by  annoying  her. 

The  woman  glared.  "  What  you  a  botherin' 
about  ?  Why  don't  you  leave  well  enough  alone  ?  " 

Orme  smiled.  "  Tell  me  one  thing,"  he  said, 
"  do  you  know  a  Japanese  that  lives  hereabouts  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  said  the  woman,  "  so  you're  one  of  the 
gentlemen  he  was  expectin',  eh  ?  Well,  it's  the  front 
flat,  two  flights  up." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Orme.  He  walked  out  to 
the  street,  whence  a  backward  glance  showed  him 
the  woman  again  concealed  in  her  newspaper. 

At  one  side  of  the  shop  he  found  the  entrance  to 
a  flight  of  stairs  which  led  to  the  floors  above.  In 
the  little  hallway,  just  before  the  narrow  ascent 
began,  was  a  row  of  electric  buttons  and  names, 
and  under  each  of  them  a  mail-box.  "  3a  "  had  a 
card  on  which  was  printed : 

"  AEIMA,  TEACHER  OF  ORIGINAL  KANO  JIU-JITSU." 

Should  he  go  boldly  up  and  present  himself  as  a 
prospective  pupil?  If  Arima  were  the  one  who 
had  so  effectively  thrown  him  the  night  before,  he 
would  certainly  remember  the  man  he  had  thrown 
and  would  promptly  be  on  his  guard.  Also,  the 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     167 

woman  in  the  shop  had  said,  "  you  are  one  of  the 
gentlemen  he  was  expectin'."  Others  were  coming. 

Prudence  suggested  that  he  conceal  himself  in 
an  entry  across  the  street  and  keep  an  eye  out 
for  the  persons  who  were  coming  to  visit  Arima. 
He  assumed  that  their  coming  had  something  to 
do  with  the  stolen  paper.  But  he  had  no  way  of 
knowing  who  the  athlete's  guests  would  be.  There 
might  be  no  one  among  them  whom  he  could  rec 
ognize.  And  even  if  he  saw  them  all  go  in,  how 
would  his  own  purpose  be  served  by  merely  watch 
ing  them?  In  time,  no  doubt,  they  would  all  come 
out  again,  and  one  of  them  would  have  the  papers 
in  his  possession,  and  Orme  would  not  know  which 
one. 

For  all  he  was  aware,  some  of  the  guests  had 
already  arrived.  They  might  even  now  be  gather- 
ering  with  eager  eyes  about  the  unfolded  docu 
ments.  No,  Orme  realized  that  his  place  was  not 
on  the  sidewalk.  By  some  means  he  must  get 
where  he  could  discover  what  was  going  on  in  the 
front  flat  on  the  third  floor.  Standing  where  he 
now  was,  there  was  momentary  danger  of  being 
discovered  by  persons  who  would  guess  why  he 
was  there.  Maku  might  come. 


168       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Orme  looked  to  see  who  lived  in  "  4a,"  the  flat 
above  the  Japanese.  The  card  bore  the  name: 

"  MADAME  ALIA,  CLAIRVOYANT  AND  TRANCE 
MEDIUM." 

"  I  think  I  will  have  my  fortune  told,"  muttered 
Orme,  as  he  pressed  Madame  Alia's  bell  and  started 
up  the  stairs. 

At  the  top  of  the  second  flight  he  looked  to 
the  entrance  of  the  front  apartment.  It  had  a 
large  square  of  ground  glass,  with  the  name 
"  Arima  "  in  black  letters.  He  continued  upward 
another  flight  and  presently  found  himself  before 
two  blank  doors — one  at  the  front  and  one  a  little 
at  one  side.  The  side  door  opened  slowly  in  re 
sponse  to  his  knock. 

Before  him  stood  a  blowsy  but  not  altogether 
unprepossessing  woman  of  middle  years.  She  wore 
a  cheap  print  gown.  A  gipsy  scarf  was  thrown 
over  her  head  and  shoulders,  and  her  ears  held 
loop  earrings.  Her  inquiring  glance  at  Orme 
was  not  unmixed  with  suspicion. 

"  Madame  Alia  ?  "  inquired  Orme. 

She  nodded  and  stood  aside  for  him  to  enter.  He 
passed  into  a  cheap  little  reception-hall  which 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     169 

looked  out  on  the  street,  and  then,  at  her  silent 
direction  went  through  a  door  at  one  side  and 
found  himself  in  the  medium's  sanctum. 

The  one  window  gave  on  a  dimly  lighted  narrow 
space  which  apparently  had  been  cut  in  from 
the  back  of  the  building.  Through  the  dusty  glass 
he  could  see  the  railing  of  a  fire-escape  platform, 
and  cutting  diagonally  across  the  light,  part  of 
the  stairs  that  led  to  the  platform  above.  There 
was  a  closed  door,  which  apparently  opened  into 
the  outer  hall.  In  the  room  were  dirty  red  hang 
ings,  two  chairs,  a  couch,  and  a  small  square 
center-table. 

Madame  Alia  had  already  seated  herself  at  the 
table  and  was  shuffling  a  pack  of  cards.  "  Fifty- 
cent  reading?"  she  asked,  as  he  took  the  chair 
opposite  her. 

Orme  nodded.  His  thoughts  were  on  the  win 
dow  and  the  fire-escape,  and  he  hardly  heard  her 
monotonous  sentences,  though  he  obeyed  mechani 
cally  her  instructions  to  cut  and  shuffle. 

"  You  are  about  to  engage  in  a  new  business," 
she  was  saying.  "  You  will  be  successful,  but  there 
will  be  some  trouble  about  a  dark  man. — Look 
out  for  him. — He  talks  fair,  but  he  means  mis- 


170       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

chief. — There  is  a  woman,  too. — This  man  will  try 
to  prejudice  her  against  you."  And  all  the  time 
Orme  was  saying  to  himself,  "  How  can  I  per 
suade  her  to  let  me  use  the  fire-escape?  " 

Suddenly  he  was  conscious  that  the  woman  had 
ceased  speaking  and  was  running  the  cards 
through  her  fingers  and  looking  at  him  searchingly. 
"  You  are  not  listening,"  she  said,  as  he  met  her 
gaze. 

He  smiled  apologetically.  "  I  know — I  was  pre 
occupied." 

"  I  can't  help  you  if  you  don't  listen." 

Orme  inferred  that  she  took  pride  in  her  work. 
He  sighed  and  looked  grave.  "  I  am  afraid,"  he 
said  slowly,  "  that  my  case  is  too  serious  for  the 
cards." 

She  brightened.  "  You'd  ought  to  have  a  trance- 
reading — two  dollars." 

"  I'd  take  any  kind  of  reading  that  would  help 
me,  but  I'm  afraid  the  situation  is  too  difficult." 

"  Then  why  did  you  come  ?  "  Again  the  look 
of  suspicion. 

"  I  came  because  you  could  help  me,  but  not  by 
a  reading." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "    Plainly  she  was  fright- 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     171 

ened.  "  I  don't  put  people  away.  That's  out  of 
my  line.  Honest !  " 

"  Do  I  look  as  if  I  wanted  anything  crooked 
done  ?  "  Orme  smiled. 

"  It's  hard  to  tell  what  folks  want,"  she  mut 
tered.  "  You're  a  fly-cop,  aren't  you?  " 

"What  makes  you  think  that?  " 

"  The  way  you  been  sizing  things  up.  You 
aren't  going  to  do  anything,  are  you?  I  pay 
regular  for  my  protection  every  month — five  dol 
lars — and  I  work  hard  to  get  it,  too." 

Orme  hesitated.  He  had  known  at  the  outset 
that  he  was  of  a  class  different  from  the  ordinary 
run  of  her  clients.  The  difference  undoubtedly 
had  both  puzzled  and  frightened  her.  He  might 
disabuse  her  of  the  notion  that  he  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  police,  but  her  misapprehension  was 
an  advantage  that  he  was  loath  to  lose.  Fearing 
him,  she  might  grant  any  favor. 

"  Now,  Hsten  to  me,"  he  said  at  last.  "  I  don't 
mean  you  any  harm,  but  I  want  you  to  answer  a 
few  questions." 

She  eyed  him  furtively. 

"  Do  you  know  the  man  in  the  flat  below?  "  he 
demanded. 


172       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Mr.  Arima?  No.  He's  a  Jap.  I  see  him  in 
the  halls  sometimes,  but  I  don't  do  no  mere  than 
bow,  like  any  neighbor." 

"He's  noisy,  isn't  he?" 

"  Only  when  he  has  pupils.  But  he  goes  out 
to  do  most  of  his  teaching.  Is  he  wanted?  " 

"  Not  exactly.  Now  look  here.  I  believe  you're 
a  well-meaning  woman.  Do  you  make  a  good 
thing  out  of  this  business  ?  " 

"  Fair."  She  smiled  faintly.  "  I  ain't  been  in 
Chicago  long,  and  it  takes  time  to  work  up  a  good 
trade.  I  got  a  daughter  to  bring  up.  She's  with 
friends.  She  don't  know  anything  about  what  I 
do  for  a  living." 

"  Well,"  said  Orme,  "  I'm  going  to  give  you 
five  dollars  toward  educating  your  girl." 

He  took  a  bill  from  his  pocket-book  and  handed 
it  to  her.  She  accepted  it  with  a  deprecating 
glance  and  a  smile  that  was  tinged  with  pathetic 
coquetry.  Then  she  looked  at  it  strangely. 
"  What's  the  writing?  "  she  asked. 

Orme  started.  He  had  given  her  the  marked 
five-dollar  bill.  "  I  didn't  mean  to  give  you  that 
one,"  he  said,  taking  it  from  her  fingers. 

She  stared  at  him.     "  Is  it  f ony  ?  " 


'Do  you  know  the  man  in  the  flat  below?'  lie  demanded" 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     173 

"  No — but  I  want  it.  Here's  another."  As  he 
took  a  fresh  bill  from  his  pocket-book  he  discovered 
to  his  surprise  that  the  marked  bill,  together  with 
the  few  dollars  in  change  he  had  received  after 
his  purchase  in  the  shop  below,  was  all  that  he 
now  had  left  in  his  pocket.  He  remembered  that 
he 'had  intended  to  draw  on  his  funds  that  morn 
ing.  His  departure  from  New  York  had  been  hur 
ried,  and  he  had  come  away  with  little  ready  cash. 

Madame  Alia  slipped  the  bill  into  her  bosom  and 
waited.  She  knew  well  enough  that  her  visitor  had 
some  demand  to  make. 

"  Now,"  said  Orme,  "  I  am  going  to  use  your 
fire-escape  for  a  little  while." 

The  woman  nodded. 

"  I  want  you  to  keep  all  visitors  out,"  he  con 
tinued.  "  Don't  answer  the  bell.  I  may  want  to 
come  back  this  way  quick." 

"This  is  straight  business,  isn't  it?  I  don't 
want  to  get  into  no  trouble." 

"  Absolutely  straight,"  said  Orme.  "  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  leave  your  window  open  and  keep 
quiet." 

"  You  can  count  on  me,"  she  said.  "  Perhaps 
you  know  all  about  the  place  down  there,  but  if 


174       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

you  don't,  I'll  tell  you  that  the  fire-escape  leads 
into  his  reception-room." 

Orme  smiled.  "  You  seem  to  be  acquainted  with 
your  neighbor,  after  all." 

"  I've  come  up  the  stairs  when  his  door  was 
open." 

"  Does  he  seem  to  be  pretty  busy  with  his  teach- 
ing?  " 

"  Evenings,  he  is.  And  some  come  in  the  after 
noon.  I  always  know,  because  they  thud  on  the 
floor  so  when  they  wrestle." 

"  And  mornings?  " 

"  He  generally  seems  to  be  away  mornings." 

"  I  fancy  he's  what  you'd  call  a  noisy  neigh 
bor,"  said  Orme. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind.  There's  more  or  less  noise 
up  here  sometimes."  She  smiled  frankly.  "  Spirits 
can  make  a  lot  of  noise.  I've  known  them  to 
throw  tables  over  and  drag  chairs  all  around  the 
room." 

"  Well "" — Orme  was  not  interested  in  spirits — 
"  be  sure  you  don't  let  anybody  in  here  until  I 
come  back." 

Again  she  nodded.  Then  she  went  into  the  re 
ception-hall  and  he  heard  her  push  the  bolt  of 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     175 

the  door.  She  did  not  return,  but  her  steps  seemed 
to  move  into  one  of  the  other  rooms. 

Orme  went  to  the  window,  pushed  it  up,  and 
climbed  out  on  the  fire-escape.  He  was  glad  to  see 
that  the  wall  across  the  court  was  windowless.  He 
might  be  observed  from  the  buildings  that  backed 
up  from  the  next  street,  but  they  apparently  be 
longed  to  a  large  storage  loft  or  factory.  There 
were  no  idle  folk  at  the  windows. 

The  window  of  the  room  below  was  open.  This 
was  in  one  sense  an  advantage — and  Orme  blessed 
the  Japanese  athletes  for  their  insistence  on  fresh 
air ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  it  made  quietness  es 
sential. 

Slowly  he  let  himself  through  the  opening  in 
the  platform  and  moved  a  few  steps  down  the 
ladder.  Then  he  crouched  and  peered  through 
the  dingy  lace  curtains  that  were  swaying  in 
the  breeze. 

The  interior  was  dim,  but  Orme  succeeded  in 
distinguishing  the  furniture.  There  were  straw 
mats  on  the  floor  and  several  chairs  stood  about. 
At  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  was  a  closed 
door.  From  his  knowledge  of  Madame  Alia's 
apartment,  Orme  knew  that  this  door  opened  into 


176       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

the  hall  of  the  building,  and  the  square  of  ground 
glass,  with  its  reversed  letters  of  the  athlete's 
name,  told  him  that  it  was  used  as  the  chief  en 
trance.  Madame  Alia  preferred  her  clients  to  enter 
into  another  room. 

In  the  farther  corner  of  the  interior  Orme  saw 
a  large  square  table.  It  was  covered  with  a  red 
print  cloth,  which  hung  over  the  edge,  nearly  to 
the  floor.  If  he  could  reach  that  table  and  con 
ceal  himself  beneath  it,  his  position  would  be 
better. 

And  now  he  suddenly  remembered  that  the  out 
line  of  his  head  would  be  visible  against  the  outer 
light  to  anyone  within.  The  room  seemed  to  be 
empty,  but — at  that  instant  he  heard  a  door  open. 
He  drew  his  head  up.  Someone  was  moving  about 
the  room. 

The  steps  went  here  and  there.  Chairs  were 
shifted,  to  judge  from  the  sound.  But  evidently 
there  was  only  one  person,  for  Orme  could  hear 
no  voices.  He  decided  that  Arima  was  preparing 
for  visitors. 

Again  he  heard  a  door  open  and  close.  Had 
Arima  gone  out,  or  had  some  other  person  entered? 
Orme  waited  a  moment,  listening;  no  sound  came 


NUMBER    THREE    FORTY-ONE     177 

from  within.     He  lowered  his  head  and  peered. 
The  room  was  empty. 

Arima  might  return  at  any  moment,  but  the 
chance  had  to  be  taken.  Quickly,  silently,  Orme 
descended  to  the  platform,  slid  over  the  sill,  and 
tip-toed  over  to  the  table.  Another  instant  and 
he  was  under  the  cover. 


CHAPTER  X 

"  FIND   THE  AMERICAN  " 

As  Orme  let  the  table-cover  fall  back  to  its  nor 
mal  position  and  turned  to  get  himself  into  a 
comfortable  attitude,  his  hand  touched  something 
soft  and  yielding.  For  a  moment  he  was  startled, 
but  the  sound  of  a  throaty  purr,  and  the  realiza 
tion  that  his  hand  was  resting  on  fur  soon  told 
him  that  his  companion  in  hiding  was  a  cat. 

He  Avondered  whether  the  Japanese  liked  pets. 
From  what  little  he  knew  of  Japanese  character 
it  did  not  seem  to  him  consistent  that  they  should 
care  for  animals.  Yet  here  was  a  peaceful  tabby. 

In  order  to  accommodate  himself  to  his  close 
quarters,  Orme  had  to  double  his  legs  back,  rest 
ing  on  his  thigh  and  supporting  the  upper  part 
of  his  body  with  one  hand.  The  cat  settled  down 
against  his  knee. 

The  light  filtered  redly  through  the  table-cover. 
To  his  satisfaction  he  found  a  small  hole,  evi 
dently  a  burn  made  by  some  careless  gmoker. 
Through  this  aperture  he  could  look  out.  His 

178 


"FIND    THE    AMERICAN"          179 

range  of  vision  included  the  greater  part  of  the 
room,  excepting  the  side  on  which  the  table  stood. 
He  could  see  the  window  and  several  chairs,  as 
well  as  the  door  into  the  adjoining  room,  but  the 
door  into  the  hall  was  out  of  view,  at  his  right. 

While  he  was  looking  about,  a  man  came  from 
the  next  room.  Doubtless  it  was  Arima;  at  least 
Orme  recognized  the  Japanese  Avho  had  overcome 
him  in  the  porter's  office  at  the  Pere  Marquette 
the  night  before.  He  stepped  into  the  room  with  a 
little  smile  on  his  brown  face.  Seating  himself  in 
a  chair,  he  fixed  his  heels  in  the  rungs  and  clasped 
his  hands  about  his  knees.  He  was  waiting. 

The  black  eyes  rested  on  the  table.  To  Orme 
they  seemed  to  be  boring  through  the  cover  that 
concealed  him,  and  he  hardly  dared  to  breathe, 
but  the  Asiatic  appeared  to  observe  nothing  un 
usual.  Orme  wondered  at  the  unfathomable  in 
telligence  of  those  eyes.  He  had  often  said  of  the 
Chinese  and  Japanese  that  he  did  not  trust  them 
for  the  reason  that  a  Caucasian  could  never  tell 
what  they  were  thinking  about.  The  racial  dif 
ference  in  thought  processes  he  found  disconcert 
ing. 

A  bell  rang.     Arima  went  to  the  door,  out  of 


180       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

view,  and  opened  it.  Orme  could  hear  persons 
mounting  the  stairs,  and  presently  the  voice  of 
Arima  said,  "  Come  in,"  and  the  visitors  entered  the 
room. 

Pausing  near  the  door  for  a  moment,  they  ex 
changed  a  few  whispered  sentences.  Then  one  of 
them  walked  over  toward  the  window.  Orme  re 
pressed  an  exclamation,  for  the  figure  that  came 
into  view  was  the  figure  of  Poritol — dapper,  asser 
tive. 

He  was  dressed  as  on  the  night  before,  and  his 
precious  high  hat  was  hugged  close  to  his  shoulder. 

His  eyes  roved  with  an  exaggerated  assumption 
of  important  cunning.  Presently  he  threw  over 
his  shoulder  a  rapid  sentence  in  a  foreign  tongue. 
It  sounded  like  Spanish,  and  Orme  inferred  that  it 
was  a  dialect  of  Portuguese. 

The  answer  came  from  an  oily  tongue ;  the  voice 
was  Alcatrante's. 

What  were  the  South  Americans  doing  here? 
It  was  only  a  few  hours  since  the  Japanese  had  set 
on  Alcatrante,  yet  here  he  was  in  a  stronghold  of 
the  enemy — and  expected!  Had  the  astute  diplo 
mat  fallen  into  a  trap  ? 

Arima  was  standing,  not  far  from  Poritol.    His 


"FIND    THE    AMERICAN"          181 

face  was  expressionless.  Looking  from  Alcatrante 
to  Poritol  and  back  again,  he  said  in  English: 
"  The  mos'  honorable  gentleman  will  soon  be  here." 

"  That  is  right,"  said  Alcatrante  suavely. 
"  Mention  no  names." 

Arima  nodded  slightly. 

The  silence  grew  intense.  Orme  was  relieved 
when  it  was  broken  by  another  ring  of  the  bell, 
and  Arima  slipped  to  the  door.  Alcatrante  moved 
over  beside  Poritol  and  whispered  a  few  words, 
scarcely  moving  his  lips.  His  face  looked  yellow 
by  daylight,  and  the  eyes  behind  the  gold  spec 
tacles  were  heavy-lidded  and  almost  closed.  Orme 
inferred  that  the  night  had  been  sleepless  for  Al 
catrante. 

These  observations  were  interrupted  by  the 
entrance  of  the  newcomer.  He  paused  at  the 
threshold,  evidently  to  salute,  for  Poritol  and  Alca 
trante  bowed  low.  Then  quick  steps  crossed  the 
floor  and  into  view  came  a  nervous  but  assured- 
looking  little  figure — a  Japanese,  but  undoubtedly 
a  man  of  great  dignity.  His  manner  of  sharp 
authority  would  be  hard  to  dispute,  for  it  was 
supported  by  a  personality  that  seemed  to  be 
stronger  than  Alcatrante's.  Who  he  was  Orme 


182       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

could  not  guess,  but  that  he  was  somebody  of  im 
portance  it  was  easy  to  see. 

The  stranger  bowed  again  and  addressed  himself 
to  Alcatrante.  The  conversation  was  carried  on 
in  French. 

"  It  is  well  that  you  communicated  with  me,  sir," 
he  said,  "  we  were  working  at  cross-purposes  when, 
in  reality,  our  interests  were  identical." 

Alcatrante  bowed.  "  I  came  to  that  conclusion 
late  last  night,"  he  said.  "  I  do  not  deny  that  it 
would  have  pleased  me  to  carry  the  affair  through 
by  myself." 

"  Yes,  your  position  would  then  have  been 
stronger."  The  Japanese  smiled  faintly. 

"  But,"  continued  Alcatrante,  with  a  slight 
grimace,  "  the  activity  of  your  men  made  that  im 
possible.  I  have  no  lieutenants  such  as  yours." 
He  shot  an  ugly  gleam  at  Poritol,  whose  sudden 
assumption  of  fearsome  humility  was  in  strange 
contrast  to  his  usual  self-assurance. 

"  As  we  hold  the  documents  " — the  Japanese 
spoke  with  great  distinctness — "  you  will  neces 
sarily  admit  our  advantage.  That  means,  you  will 
understand,  a  smaller  commission  on  the  next  con 
tract." 


"FIND    THE    AMERICAN"         183 

Alcatrante  twisted  his  face  into  the  semblance 
of  a  smile.  "  Not  too  small,  or  we  cannot  under 
take  the  work,"  he  said. 

"  No,  not  too  small,"  the  stranger  agreed 
calmly,  "  but  smaller  than  the  last.  You  must  not 
forget  that  there  are  others  who  would  gladly  do 
the  same  work." 

"  Yes,  but  at  best  they  cannot  get  the  terms  we 
get." 

"  Possibly.  That  is  a  matter  still  to  be  deter 
mined.  Meantime  we  have  assumed  that  our  in 
terests  in  this  document  are  identical.  Let  us 
test  it." 

"  One  word  first,"  said  Alcatrante.  "  I  take  it 
that,  if  our  interests  are  sympathetic  with  yours, 
we  may  count  on  your  protection  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly." 

"  Then ?  " 

"  Then  we  shall  see.  My  fairness  is  clear  in 
that  I  give  you  a  sight  of  the  document  with  my 
self.  I  might  have  denied  all  knowledge  of  it." 

Alcatrante  smiled  as  if  to  say :  "  I  already  knew 
so  much  that  you  could  not  risk  that." 

The  stranger  turned  to  Arima  and  said  some 
thing  in  Japanese.  Arima  replied,  and  the 


184       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

stranger  explained  to  Alcatrante:  "I  asked  about 
my  man  Maku.  The  American  struck  him  on  the 
head  last  night,  and  injured  him.  But  he  is  re 
covering.  He  is  troublesome — that  American." 

Orme  started.  His  head  bumped  against  the 
table. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  exclaimed  Poritol,  advancing. 
"  There's  something  under  that  table ! "  He 
stooped  to  lift  the  cover. 

One  chance  flashed  into  Orme's  mind.  Quickly 
he  seized  the  cat,  which  was  still  sleeping  against 
his  knee,  and  pushed  it  under  the  table-cover.  It 
walked  out  into  the  room,  mewing  plaintively. 

"  A  cat,"  said  Poritol,  drawing  back. 

Arima  explained  in  English :  "  It  belongs  to 
lady  upstairs.  Comes  down  fire-escape.  Shoo! 
Shoo !  "  He  clapped  his  hands  and  the  animal 
bounded  to  the  window-sill  and  disappeared  up 
the  iron  steps. 

"  And  now,"  began  the  stranger,  "  shall  we  ex 
amine  the  documents  ?  " 

"  One  moment,"  said  Alcatrante.  "  I  should 
first  like  a  clear  understanding  with  you — some 
words  in  private."  He  moved  to  a  corner,  and 
there  the  stranger  joined  him.  They  talked  in  an 


"FIND    THE    AMERICAN"          185 

undertone  for  several  minutes,  Alcatrante  gestur 
ing  volubly,  the  stranger  nodding  now  and  then, 
and  interjecting  a  few  brief  words. 

What  was  going  on  was  more  than  ever  a  mys 
tery  to  Orme.  The  stranger's  reference  to  "  the 
next  contract "  strengthened  the  surmise  that  the 
documents  in  the  envelope  were  connected  with 
a  South  American  trade  concession.  Alcatrante 
had  plainly  concluded  that  his  interests  and  those 
of  the  Japanese  were  identical.  He  must  have  com 
municated  with  the  strange  Japanese  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning.  That  would  account  for 
his  failure  to  call  at  the  Pere  Marquette  at  ten 
o'clock.  Learning  that  the  bill  had  been  taken 
from  Orme,  and  that  the  coveted  documents  were 
in  the  possession  of  the  Japanese,  he  had  no 
object  in  keeping  his  appointment.  As  for  Poritol, 
he  had  become  a  figure  of  minor  importance. 

But  Orme  did  not  let  these  questions  long  en 
gage  him,  for  he  had  made  a  discovery.  Where 
his  head  bumped  against  the  table,  the  board 
above  him — solid,  as  he  had  supposed — rattled 
strangely.  At  the  moment  he  could  not  investi 
gate,  but  as  soon  as  the  cat  had  satisfied  the 
suspicions  of  Poritol,  and  Alcatrante  and  the 


186       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

stranger  had  retired  to  their  corner,  he  twisted  his 
head  back  and  examined  the  wood  above  him. 

The  table  had  a  drawer.  From  the  room  out 
side  this  drawer  was  concealed  by  the  cloth  cover, 
and  Orme  had  not  suspected  its  existence. 

Now,  the  table  was  cheaply  made.  The  drawer 
was  shallow  and  narrow,  and  it  was  held  in  posi 
tion,  under  the  table,  by  an  open  framework  of 
wood.  When  it  was  pushed  in,  it  was  stopped  at 
the  right  place  by  two  cleats;  there  was  no  solid 
strip  to  prevent  its  being  pushed  in  too  far. 

Orme  put  his  hand  to  the  back  of  the  drawer. 
There  was  a  space  between  it  and  the  table-top. 

Cautiously  he  pushed  his  hand  through  the 
opening.  His  fingers  touched  a  flat  object — a  pad 
of  paper,  or — the  thought  made  his  heart  beat — 
a  large,  thick  envelope.  Could  Arima  have  used 
the  drawer  as  a  hiding-place? 

Slowly  he  got  the  edge  of  the  object  between 
his  first  and  second  fingers  and  drew  it  a  little 
way  toward  the  back  of  the  drawer.  A  moment 
later  he  had  it  under  his  eyes. 

Yes,  it  was  a  long  envelope  of  heavy  linen,  and 
there  were  bulky  papers  within.  The  gummed 
flap  was  toward  him.  He  was  interested  to  note 


"FIND    THE    AMERICAN"          187 

that,  important  though  the  documents  seemed  to 
be,  the  envelope  was  not  sealed  with  wax. 

He  remembered  what  the  girl  had  said:  her 
father's  name  was  written  on  the  address  side.  He 
had  only  to  turn  it  over  to  learn  who  she  was.  In 
the  circumstances  such  an  act  might  be  justified. 
But  she  had  not  wished  him  to  know — and  he  would 
even  now  respect  her  wish  and  keep  his  own  promise 
to  her. 

His  first  thought  was  to  slip  the  envelope  into 
his  pocket,  but  it  occurred  to  him  in  time  that,  if 
it  did  indeed  contain  the  documents  concerning 
which  Alcatrante  and  the  stranger  were  disputing, 
it  would  be  sought  and  missed  long  before  he  could 
escape  from  the  room.  So,  taking  a  pencil  from 
his  pocket,  he  inserted  it  under  the  corner  of 
the  flap  and  slowly  worked  the  flap  free.  The 
strength  of  the  linen  prevented  any  tearing. 

He  removed  the  contents  of  the  envelope — two 
folded  sheets  of  parchment  paper,  held  together  by 
an  elastic  band — and  thrust  them  into  the  inside 
pocket  of  his  coat.  All  this  was  done  swiftly  and 
noiselessly. 

It  now  remained  to  find  something  to  take  the 
place  of  the  abstracted  documents.  In  his  pocket 


188  THE  GIRL  AND  THE  BILL 
were  some  printed  prospectuses  of  the  mine  which 
he  had  come  to  Chicago  to  investigate.  In  shape 
and  thickness  they  were  not  dissimilar  to  the  docu 
ments  which  he  had  taken.  He  slipped  the  pros 
pectuses  into  the  envelope  and,  wetting  his  finger, 
rubbed  it  along  the  gummed  surface  of  the  flap. 
Enough  glue  remained  to  make  the  flap  adhere, 
after  a  little  pressure.  The  job  was  by  no  means 
perfect,  but  it  was  not  likely  to  be  detected. 

At  that  moment  Alcatrante  raised  his  voice  and 
said,  still  in  French :  "  You  are  sure,  then,  that 
this  will  not  only  delay  the  game,  but  end  it." 

"  Quite  sure,"  said  the  Japanese.  "  Unless  the 
documents  are  signed  before  midnight  to-night 
nothing  can  be  done  for  some  time.  We  have  the 
Germans  fixed.  They  will  do  what  they  have  thus 
far  agreed  to  do,  but  if  any  technical  hitch  arises, 
such  as  a  failure  to  sign  within  the  time-limit,  they 
will  decline  to  renew  negotiations.  That  was  all 
we  could  get  from  them,  but  it  is  enough — now." 

"  And  for  other  ships,"  said  Alcatrante,"  the 
commission  shall  be  five  hundred  thousand." 

"  Five  hundred  thousand.  Seven  hundred  and 
fifty  was  too  much." 

"  Five  hundred  thousand  in  gold." 


"FIND    THE    AMERICAN"  189 

«  In  gold." 

Orme  slipped  the  envelope  back  into  the  drawer 
and  put  his  eye  to  the  hole  in  the  cover.  His  posi 
tion  was  now  more  and  more  critical,  for  to  open 
the  drawer  and  get  the  envelope,  Arima  would  have 
to  lift  the  table  cover. 

The  stranger  turned  to  Arima.  "  Give  us  the  en 
velope,"  he  said. 

Arima  approached  the  table.  Orme  crowded 
back  against  the  wall  as  far  as  he  could,  knowing 
that  the  chances  of  escaping  discovery  were 
strongly  against  him.  But  he  was  saved  by  the 
very  eagerness  of  the  others.  They  all  crowded 
about  Arima,  as  he  lifted  the  cover,  opened  the 
drawer,  and  took  out  the  envelope.  So  close  did 
they  stand  that  Orme  was  out  of  their  angle  of 
vision.  The  table-cover  fell  again,  and  he  was 
safe.  He  resumed  his  position  at  the  peep-hole. 

The  stranger  stepped  to  the  middle  of  the  room, 
the  others  gathering  around  him.  With  a  quick 
jerk  he  tore  the  envelope  open,  and  taking  out  the 
papers,  ran  his  eye  over  them  rapidly.  He  ut 
tered  an  exclamation.  "  What  is  it  ?  "  said  Al- 
catrante.  The  South  American's  hand  was  shak 
ing1,  and  perspiration  stood  out  on  his  forehead. 


190       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

The  Japanese  snarled.  "  Tricked !  They've 
fooled  us.  That  honorable  burglar  of  yours  got 
the  wrong  envelope." 

Alcatrante  snatched  the  papers.  "  '  Prospec 
tus,'  "  he  read,  " '  of  the  Last  Dare  Mining  Com 
pany.'  But  I  do  not  understand." 

The  Japanese  glared  at  him  angrily.  "  If  you 
had  kept  out  of  this  business,"  he  snapped,  "  and 
let  Maku  attend  to  it,  everything  would  have  been 
right.  Now  your  burglars  have  spoiled  it."  He 
snatched  back  the  harmless  prospectuses  and  tore 
them  in  two,  throwing  the  fragments  to  the  floor 
and  grinding  them  under  his  heel. 

Arima  spoke.  "  Pardon,  honorable  sir,  Maku 
say  the  right  envelope  was  taken  from  the  safe. 
Maku  know." 

"  Ha !  Then  it  was  you  who  were  tricked — 
outwitted.  That  American  reached  the  tree  be 
fore  you  last  evening  and  substituted  these  papers. 
Go  back  to  Japan,  Arima.  I  don't  need  you." 

Arima  bowed  submissively.  As  for  the  stranger, 
his  rage  gave  way  to  despair. 

"What  shall  I  say  to  the  Emperor?"  he  mut 
tered.  "What  shall  I  say  to  the  Emperor?  " 

Then  his  feelings  came  again  under  control ;  he 


"FIND   THE   AMERICAN"  191 

looked  calmly  at  Alcatrante.  "  Well,"  he  said, 
"  what  would  you  suggest  ?  " 

Alcatrante's  face  was  a  puzzle.  Every  shade  of 
doubt,  disappointment,  anger,  suspicion,  and 
shrewd  deduction  passed  over  it.  He  was  putting 
into  play  that  marvelous  power  of  concentration 
on  subtle  issues  that  had  enabled  him  to  play  so 
brilliantly  the  role  of  international  under-dog.  At 
last  he  smiled  and  spoke. 

"  Find  the  American,"  he  said. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door.  Arima 
looked  at  his  master,  who  nodded  indifferently  and 
said :  "  Yes,  see  who  it  is.  It  can  do  no  harm 
now." 

Orme  heard  the  door  open.  What  startled  him 
first  was  the  action  of  Poritol,  who  stepped  back 
to  the  wall,  his  jaw  dropping,  his  face  a  picture  of 
embarrassment  and  fright.  Alcatrante  and  the 
stranger  showed  amazement. 

For  a  moment  they  stood  thus  in  silence,  and 
then  from  the  door  came  a  clear  voice: 

"What?  You  here,  Mr.  Alcatrante?  And 
the  Japanese  minister?  " 

Orme  almost  sprang  from  his  hiding-place.  The 
voice  was  the  voice  of  the  girl ! 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE  WAY  OUT 

THE  sound  of  the  girl's  voice  brought  the  men  in 
the  room  to  life.  Her  words  were  shaded  to  a  tone 
of  fearless  scorn  which  must  have  bitten  deep,  for 
Alcatrante  and  the  Japanese  minister  looked  like 
school-boys  caught  in  wrong-doing.  The  South 
American  gnawed  at  his  lip;  the  Japanese  looked 
at  the  floor,  and  Orme  now  realized  that  the  man 
ner  which  had  seemed  so  indicative  of  a  masterful 
personality  was  the  manner  which  springs  from 
power — the  manner  that  is  built  upon  the  assur 
ance  of  a  tremendous  backing. 

The  tension  was  broken  by  Poritol.  The  little 
man's  dismay  suddenly  gave  way  to  an  eager  and 
voluble  excitement,  and  he  rushed  across  the  room, 
exclaiming :  "  Oh,  my  dear  miss " 

"  No  names,"  commanded  Alcatrante  harshly, 
turning  on  his  subordinate. 

"  My  dear  young  lady,"  continued  Poritol 
breathlessly,  "  I  am  the  victim  of  your  misunder 
standing.  You  will  permit  me  to  explain." 

192 


THE    WAY   OUT  193 

She  answered  with  an  even,  cutting  edge  in  her 
voice :  "  You  cannot  explain,  Mr.  Poritol." 

"  But :"  he  began,  blind  to  her  meaning. 

"  I  do  not  care  to  hear  you,"  she  said ;  and 
Poritol  slunk  back  to  his  former  position.  From 
his  face  it  was  clear  that  he  had  no  desire  except 
to  get  away. 

Meantime  Alcatrante  aroused  himself.  "  My 
friend  here  " — he  indicated  the  Japanese — "  and 
myself  are  here  on  business  which  concerns  our  two 
nations.  Your  appearance,  I  presume,  is  due  to 
a  desire  to  engage  the  professional  services  of  Mr. 
Arima.  Or  perhaps  you  were  trying  to  find  the 
fortune-teller  upstairs."  He  barely  repressed  his 
sneer. 

The  girl  did  not  answer.  She  had  remained  by 
the  door,  and  but  for  the  attitudes  of  the  others, 
Orme  would  not  have  known  but  that  she  had  gone. 
As  it  was,  he  could  read  in  their  bearing  the  dis 
concerting  effects  of  her  continued  disdain. 

The  Japanese  spoke.  "  Will  you  enter,  miss, 
or  shall  we  direct  you  on  your  way?  Arima  will 
come  out  and  talk  with  you,  if  you  so  wish." 

Still  no  answer.  To  Orme,  in  his  hiding,  there 
was  something  uncanny  in  her  failure  to  respond. 


194       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

But  he  could  picture  her — Truth,  calm  in  the 
presence  of  subterfuge. 

"  Will  you  not  state  your  desire?  "  Again  the 
Japanese.  He  was  smiling  now,  with  the  false 
politeness  of  his  race. 

And  then  she  spoke :  "  That  envelope  on  the 
floor  was  stolen  from  my  father's  home.  It  bears 
my  father's  name." 

Before  Alcatrante  could  stop  him,  little  Poritol, 
with  some  vague  hope  of  making  amends,  had 
snatched  up  the  torn  envelope  and  taken  it  to  her. 
He  returned  to  the  range  of  Orme's  vision  with 
an  air  of  virtuous  importance. 

"  The  contents,"  said  the  girl — "  where  are  the 
papers  ?  " 

Alcatrante  and  the  Japanese  looked  at  each 
other.  It  was  as  if  they  said,  "  In  view  of  our 
failure  we  might  as  well  make  a  clean  breast  of  it." 
But  Alcatrante  was  too  cunning  to  take  the  initia 
tive  in  confession.  He  left  that  to  the  Japanese, 
who  spoke  unhesitatingly. 

"  The  only  papers  in  the  envelope  were  these." 
He  picked  up  the  torn  prospectuses  from  the  floor 
and  held  them  extended  in  his  hand.  "  Our  sur 
prise  is  as  great  as  yours." 


THE    WAY   OUT  195 

"  Do  you  expect  me  to  believe  that  ?  " 

"  Whether  you  believe  it  or  not,  my  dear  young 
lady,  it  is  true." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  then  the  Jap 
anese  continued :  "  We  have  reason  to  think  that 
the  envelope  was  for  a  time  last  night  in  the  pos 
session  of  an  American,  and  that  he  substituted 
these  circulars  for  whatever  the  envelope  may  have 
held." 

Orme's  impulse  to  declare  himself  was  almost  ir 
resistible.  A  man  whose  instincts  were  less  cau 
tious  would  have  thrown  the  table  over  and  ranged 
himself  beside  the  girl.  Orme  was  not  fearful,  but 
he  knew  that  the  chances  of  a  successful  outcome 
would  be  lessened  by  exposure.  Even  if  he  and  the 
girl  got  safely  from  the  room,  there  would  be  a 
pursuit,  and  the  risk  of  losing  the  papers  would 
be  great. 

As  for  the  girl,  she  clearly  was  in  no  danger. 
These  men  would  not  harm  her. 

But  would  the  assertion  of  the  Japanese  lead  her 
to  doubt  Orme?  Would  she  believe  that  he  had 
actually  recovered  the  papers  the  night  before  and 
kept  them  for  his  own  purposes?  He  remembered 
that  he  had  given  her  only  the  scantiest  account  of 


196       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

his  adventure  at  the  tree,  for  he  had  wished  to 
spare  her  the  details  of  an  incident  that  meant  her 
disappointment  as  well  as  his  own.  She  might 
now  readily  attribute  his  reticence  to  a  desire  to 
conceal  something. 

And  then  came  her  voice.  Her  first  words 
brought  a  glow  to  Orme's  heart :  "  I  know  that 
you  are  mistaken.  No  American  has  those 
papers."  Orme  breathed  his  relief.  Then  she 
added  the  dubious  word — "  Unless " 

So  she  did  doubt  him  after  all.  Well,  he  could 
not  blame  her.  The  scene  in  the  room — the  frank 
ness  of  the  Japanese,  which  could  only  be  attrib 
uted  to  discomfiture;  the  empty  envelope;  the 
torn  prospectuses  on  the  floor,  all  these  conditions 
pointed  to  the  truth  of  the  explanation  she  had 
heard. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  was  his  appearance  on 
the  lake,  an  hour  or  more  after  the  episode  on  the 
campus.  Might  it  not  occur  to  her  that,  had  he 
already  secured  the  papers,  he  would  have  had  no 
object  in  the  further  pursuit  of  the  Japanese? 
But,  perhaps  she  would  think  that  he  was  seeking 
Arima  to  sell  the  papers  back  to  him ;  or  that, 
in  spite  of  his  appearance  of  surprise,  he  had  been 


THE    WAY    OUT  197 

a  witness  of  her  abduction  and  had  gone  out  on 
the  water  to  save  her.  There  were  so  many  things 
she  might  think !  Indeed,  that  dubious  word  "  un 
less  "  might  even  signify,  "  unless  he  has  secured 
the  papers  since  I  last  saw  him."  But  no;  she 
would  gather  from  the  situation  in  which  she  found 
her  enemies  that  the  envelope  had  not  been  out  of 
their  possession  since  it  was  taken  from  the  tree. 
Orme  shut  his  lips  together  hard.  Her  doubt  of 
him  would  have  to  be  endured,  even  though  it 
shattered  his  pleasant  dream  of  her  complete  and- 
sympathetic  understanding. 

Akatrante,  meantime,  was  studying  the  girl 
with  curious  eyes.  His  look  was  both  perplexed 
and  admiring. 

"Do  you  mind  telling  me  how  you  happened 
to  come  to  this  place?  "  he  asked. 

She  answered  indifferently :  "  Supposing  that 
the  Japanese  had  stolen  the  papers,  I  searched  Ma- 
ku's  room  at  our  house.  There  was  a  torn  en 
velope  there,  with  the  name  '  Arima '  printed  in 
the  corner." 

Alcatrante  bowed.  "  You  are  cleverer  than  most 
Americans,  my  dear  young  lady,"  he  said.  His 
lips  curved  into  a  smile  that  disclosed  his  fangs. 


198       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  That,"  she  replied,  "  is  as  it  may  be.  But  I 
have  not  your  admiration  for  trickery,  Mr.  Al- 
-catrante." 

Again  he  smiled.  "  Ah,"  he  exclaimed,  "  trick 
ery  is  the  detail  work  of  diplomacy."  Then  with 
a  shade  of  seriousness  in  his  voice,  he  asked :  "  Why 
did  you  use  that  word  *  unless  '  ?  " 

"  Why,  indeed?  "  She  made  this  noncommittal 
answer,  and  if  Alcatrante  had  hoped  to  soothe 
her  into  friendliness  and  draw  from  her  a  clue  to 
her  suspicions,  he  was  disappointed. 

There  was  another  period  of  silence,  broken  at 
last  by  the  Japanese.  "  The  fact  that  we  have 
failed,  my  dear  young  lady,"  he  said,  "  makes  con 
cealment  unnecessary.  I  know,  of  course,  that 
this  matter  will  never  become  public.  You  under 
stand  that  the  representatives  of  great  nations 
often  have  to  take  steps  which,  as  private  citizens, 
they  would  never  think  of." 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  "  I  understand.  There 
is  no  more  to  be  said.  Good-day." 

There  was  a  step  and  the  sound  of  the  door  clos 
ing.  She  had  gone. 

Alcatrante  and  the  Japanese  looked  at  each 
other.  "  We  have  not  failed — yet,"  said  Alca- 


THE   WAY   OUT  199 

trante  in  French.  "  The  girl  does  not  know  where 
the  documents  are,  or  she  would  not  have  come 
here.  If  her  father  does  not  have  them  before 
midnight  our  plans  are  safe.  We  remain  merely 
at  a  loss  as  to  the  details  of  the  documents,  and  we 
already  know  what  they  contain  in  a  general  way." 

"  Yes,"  agreed  the  Japanese,  "  things  do  not 
look  so  black,  perhaps.  But  I  am  interested  in 
your  former  advice." 

"Yes?" 

"  Find  the  American !  That  is  what  she  will  try 
to  do." 

"  We  had  an  appointment  with  him  this  morn 
ing,"  said  Alcatrante  grimly,  "  but  when  you  said 
that  your  man  had  the  envelope,  it  no  longer 
seemed  necessary  to  go.  We — you  and  I — still  have 
the  same  object  in  view.  I  suggest  that  we  now 
set  out  separately." 

"  As  you  wish,"  said  the  Japanese  calmly. 
Doubtless  he  knew  that  Alcatrante  was  grasping 
at  a  straw  which  might  still  give  him  the  advantage 
in  future  negotiations.  "  I  am  honored  by  your 
co-operation  thus  far."  He  bowed  formally. 

Alcatrante  returned  the'  bow  and,  beckoning  to 
Poritol,  left  the  room. 


200       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

The  Japanese  minister  turned  to  Arima  and 
talked  rapidly  in  his  native  tongue.  From  his 
manner  it  was  plain  that  he  was  giving  orders.  At 
last,  with  a  little  gesture  of  authority,  he  put  on 
his  hat  and  walked  out.  The  door  closed  after 
him  with  a  slam. 

Arima,  now  alone,  seated  himself  in  a  chair  and 
appeared  to  meditate.  Again  his  hands  were 
clasped  about  his  knees  and  his  beady  eyes  fixed  on 
space.  For  fully  fifteen  minutes  he  sat  thus  ;  then, 
with  a  little  clucking  sound,  he  leaped  to  his  feet 
and  hurried  into  the  next  room. 

Now  was  Orme's  chance.  He  lifted  the  table- 
cover  and  rose  to  his  feet.  Arima  had  not  closed 
the  door  after  him,  but  Orme  was  not  in  the  line 
of  direct  view  into  the  other  room,  and  he  had  to 
risk  the  possibility  of  being  seen  before  he  reached 
the  window. 

Or  should  he  try  for  the  door?  It  all  depended 
upon  what  part  of  the  next  room  Arima  was  in ; 
but  the  window  seemed  safer,  for  the  opening  and 
closing  of  the  door  would  be  sure  to  attract  at 
tention. 

Orme  moved  toward  the  window  slowly,  watch 
ing  the  opening  through  which  Arima  had  disap 
peared.  He  got  half-way  to  the  window;  three 


THE    WAY    OUT  201 

more  steps  would  bring  him  to  the  sill.  And  then, 
without  warning,  Arima  leaped  into  the  room. 
Even  in  that  moment  Orme  caught  a  glimpse  of  a 
mirror  in  the  farther  room,  and  knew  that  the  Jap 
anese  had  seen  his  reflection. 

At  this  instant  another  man  appeared,  close  be 
hind  Arima.  A  bandage  was  wrapped  around  his 
head.  It  was  Maku,  who  presumably  had  been  in 
the  apartment  all  the  time. 

Orme  stood  little  chance  of  overcoming  the  two. 
Quick  as  cats,  with  muscles  like  steel  springs  and 
a  great  variety  of  scientific  tricks  of  offense  and 
defense,  they  could  handle  him  as  they  willed  in  a 
direct  encounter.  If  Orme  had  had  a  revolver,  he 
would  now  have  drawn  it.  Yet  he  knew  that  this 
was  not  a  case  for  fire-arms.  Obviously,  if  he  used 
a  dangerous  weapon  in  these  men's  rooms  and  was 
afterward  caught,  it  would  fare  hard  with  him,  for 
the  real  facts  would  be  suppressed  and  he  would  be 
sentenced  as  an  ordinary  housebreaker,  perhaps 
with  some  clemency  due  to  his  personal  standing. 

A  quick  intuition  told  him  that  he  would  not 
escape  lightly  if  they  fairly  got  their  hands  on 
him.  The  two  Japanese  had  hitherto  shown  much 
patience  with  him.  Their  desire  seemed  to  have 
been  to  avoid  hurting  him  any  more  than  was 


202       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

necessary.  But  there  is  a  limit  to  Japanese  pa 
tience.  The  scathing  words  of  the  Japanese  min 
ister  must  still  be  burning  in  Arima's  brain.  And 
Maku,  who  had  controlled  himself  while  Orme  was 
following  him  through  the  streets  of  the  North 
Side,  no  longer  had  a  diplomatic  reason  for  re 
straining  his  rage  against  the  man  who  had  struck 
him  down.  In  any  event,  the  eyes  of  Arima  and 
Maku  glittered  angrily,  and  Orme  realized  that  he 
could  expect  no  mercy. 

He  caught  up  a  chair  and  raised  it  over  his  head, 
prepared  to  bring  it  down  on  Arima,  who  was  only 
a  few  feet  from  him  and  coming  fast. 

The  Japanese  raised  his  arms,  to  fend  the  ex 
pected  blow.  With  sudden  inspiration,  Orme  hurled 
the  chair  at  his  opponent's  feet.  There  was  a 
crash.  Arima  sprawled  headlong.  Maku,  who 
was  close  behind,  tried  to  leap  over  Arima,  but  his 
feet  went  through  the  rungs  of  the  chair,  and  he, 
too,  crashed  to  the  floor. 

As  he  threw  the  chair  Orme  leaped  back.  Be 
fore  the  Japanese  could  get  out  of  their  tangle,  he 
had  jumped  over  the  window-sill  and  was  running 
up  the  fire-escape.  Madame  Alia  was  at  her  win 
dow,  a  look  of  startled  inquiry  on  her  face.  She 
stepped  back  as  he  crowded  into  the  room. 


THE    WAY    OUT  203 

"Quick!"  he  said.  "They'll  be  after  me. 
Hide  me  somewhere." 

"  Come !  "  She  took  his  sleeve  and  pulled  him 
to  a  corner.  There  she  pushed  aside  the  dingy 
hanging  and  Orme  saw  that  the  wall  was  covered 
with  a  wainscoting  that  ran  from  floor  to  ceiling. 

The  medium  looked  at  him  with  bright  eyes. 
"  You're  the  real  sort,"  she  whispered,  and  a  wave 
of  color  in  her  cheeks  brought  back  the  suggestion 
of  girlish  beauty.  "  I  saw  that  scrap  there 
through  a  hole  in  the  floor.  You're  the  goods." 
She  pressed  his  arm  almost  affectionately,  then, 
with  her  free  hand,  she  pushed  against  the  panel 
ing.  Noiselessly  a  section  of  it  turned  inward, 
disclosing  a  dark  cavity.  "  Get  in !  " 

Orme  quickly  slipped  into  the  darkness,  the 
panel  closed,  and  he  heard  the  swish  of  the  hang 
ing  as  it  dropped  back  against  the  board. 

It  was  not  too  soon.  Two  soft  thuds  told  him 
that  the  Japanese  had  dropped  over  the  sill  into 
the  room. 

He  heard  the  woman  give  a  well-feigned  scream 
of  surprise. 

"  '  Scuse  us,  miss," — it  was  Arima's  voice — "  we 
looking  for  sneak  thief.  He  come  in  here." 

"  Be  off  with  you.     I've  just  come  from  the 


204       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

front  room  there,  and  there  wasn't  a  soul  came 
in." 

"  We  saw  him." 

"  He  must  have  gone  out  to  the  hall,  then." 
The  woman's  voice  had  a  note  of  mollification — as 
though  she  had  suddenly  recognized  the  right  of 
the  two  Japanese  to  enter  the  apartment.  "  / 
didn't  hear  him." 

A  few  words  of  Japanese  colloquy ;  then  Arima : 
"  I  look  around.  My  friend  go  to  hall."  A  door 
.closed ;  evidently  Maku  had  gone  out ;  and  then 
>Orme  heard  steps.  After  this  there  was  a  long 
•wait,  while  the  Japanese  examined  the  other  rooms, 
the  woman  evidently  offering  him  her  aid.  At  last 
they  returned. 

•"  Well,  I  go  back,"  said  Arima.  "  I  saw  him 
-come  in  the  window.  My  friend  will  know.  See 
you  later." 

Presently  the  woman  raised  the  hanging  and 
whispered  through  the  boards :  "  He  went  back 
down  the  fire-escape.  His  friend's  in  the  hall. 
He'll  find  out  you  haven't  went  down,  and  then  he'll 
come  back." 

"  I'll  try  the  roof,"  whispered  Orme.  "  Perhaps 
I  can  get  on  to  another  house  that  way." 


THE   WAY    OUT  205 

"  Wait  till  I  see."  She  walked  away,  but  soon 
returned. 

"  No  use,"  he  heard  her  say.  "  That  Jap's  a 
sitting  on  the  fire-escape  watching.  He  grinned 
when  I  looked  down." 

Orme  pondered.  "  Help  me  out  of  this,"  he 
whispered,  "  and  there'll  be  something  in  it  for 
you." 

She  moved  impatiently.  "  Cut  it  out !  I  don't 
want  nothing.  You're  a  good  sport,  that's  all." 
She  paused.  "  Not  that  I'd  mind  having  a  pres 
ent.  But  I  don't  want  no  money." 

Orme  caught  the  distinction.  "  I'll  remember," 
he  said.  "  And  what  shall  I  do  now?  " 

"  You'll  have  to  stay  in  there  a  while,  I  guess." 

"  I  simply  must  get  away — and  within  an  hour 
or  two." 

"  I'll  manage  that,"  she  answered  confidently. 

"  But  how ?  " 

"  You'll  see.    Just  leave  it  to  me." 

Orme  smiled  to  himself,  there  in  the  darkness. 
Of  course,  he  would  leave  it  to  her;  but  he  did 
not  see  how  she  was  to  rid  him  of  the  watchful 
Japanese. 

"  There's  just  one  thing,"  he  whispered.  "  What- 


206       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

ever  is  done,  will  have  to  be  done  without  help 
from  outside.  This  is  not  a  matter  for  the  police." 

"  I  understand.  Why  can't  you  just  leave  it 
to  me?  I  don't  believe  you  trust  me  a  little  bit !  " 

"  But  I  do,"  he  protested.  "  I  am  absolutely 
in  your  hands." 

He  heard  her  sigh  faintly.  "  I'm  going  to 
put  down  the  window  now,"  she  said.  "  It  ain't 
safe  for  me  to  stand  here  talking  to  you  unless 
I  do.  That  Arima  fellow  might  pop  up  the  fire- 
escape  any  time." 

She  was  back  in  a  few  moments.  He  had  heard 
the  window  -creak  down,  and  had  wondered  whether 
the  action  would  add  to  Arima's  suspicion. 

"  If  he  comes  up  now,"  she  explained  in  an  un 
dertone,  "  the  glare  on  the  outside  of  the  window 
will  keep  him  from  seeing  in  very  plain." 

After  that  she  did  not  speak  for  some  time,  but 
the  occasional  movements  of  her  body,  as  she 
leaned  against  the  panel,  were  audible  to  Orme. 
He  found  himself  wondering  about  her — how  she 
had  happened  to  take  up  the  career  of  fortune- 
telling.  She  must  have  been  a  handsome  woman ; 
even  now  she  was  not  unattractive. 

The  delay  grew  more  and  more  irksome.     It 


THE    WAY    OUT  207 

seemed  to  Orme  as  though  he  had  been  behind  the 
panel  for  hours.  After  a  while  he  asked : 

"What  time  is  it?" 

"  About  two  o'clock.    Ain't  you  hungry  ?  " 

Orme  laughed  softly.  "  I  hadn't  thought 
about  it." 

"  Wait  a  minute."  She  moved  away.  When 
she  returned  she  pulled  up  the  hanging  and  opened 
the  panel.  In  her  hand  was  a  thick  sandwich. 
"  I  was  just  going  to  eat  my  own  lunch  when  you 
came  back  through  the  window,"  she  explained. 

He  tooked  the  sandwich.  She  looked  at  him 
boldly.  He  was  standing  close  to  her  in  the  open 
ing.  There  was  an  expression  that  was  almost 
defiant  in  her  eyes.  "  I — I  want  my  present." 

"  You  shall  have  it,  Madame  Alia,"  he  said. 

"  You  ain't  my  kind — and  it  won't  make  no  dif 
ference  to  you."  Her  voice  faltered  and  her  eyes 
dropped.  "  I  want  you  to  kiss  me." 

Orme  looked  at  her,  and  understood.  He  put 
his  arms  around  her  and  kissed  her  gently  on  the 
lips.  There  was  no  disloyalty  in  it.  He  was  sim 
ply  satisfying  the  craving  of  this  poor  woman's 
soul — a  craving  for  a  tribute  to  which  she  could 
always  revert  as  the  symbol  of  a  high  friendliness. 


208       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

She  felt  that  he  was  of  a  different  world ;  he  knew 
that  the  world  was  all  one,  though  partitioned  off 
by  artificial  barriers,  but  he  could  not  correct  her 
view. 

She  clung  to  him  for  a  moment  after  his  lips  left 
hers,  then  released  herself  from  his  clasp  and 
moved  back  into  the  room,  her  face  averted.  Was 
it  to  hide  a  blush?  Orme  did  not  ask  himself,  but 
respecting  her  reticence  of  spirit,  silently  closed  the 
panel  and  was  again  in  darkness. 

For  a  time  he  stood  there  quietly.  His  back 
was  against  the  wall, — his  hands  easily  touched 
the  paneling  that  shut  him  off  from  the  room.  He 
wondered  what  this  secret  place  was  for,  and  tak 
ing  a  match  from  his  pocket,  he  lighted  it. 

The  enclosure  seemed  to  extend  all  the  way 
across  the  side  of  the  room.  Farther  along,  lying 
on  the  floor  and  standing  against  the  wall,  were 
contrivances  of  which  at  first  he  could  make  noth 
ing — poles,  pieces  of  tin,  and — were  those  masks, 
heaped  in  the  corner?  From  a  row  of  pegs  hung 
long  robes — white  and  black. 

The  truth  flashed  into  Orme's  mind.  He  was  in 
Madame  Alia's  ghost-closet! 


CHAPTER  XII 

POWER    OF    DARKNESS 

To  Orme  the  next  half-hour  was  very  long.  He 
seated  himself  upon  the  floor  of  the  closet  and  ate 
the  sandwich  which  the  clairvoyant  had  brought 
him.  Occasionally  he  could  hear  her  moving  about 
the  apartment. 

"  Poor  charlatan ! "  he  thought.  "  She  is  her 
self  a  *  good  sort.'  I  suppose  she  excuses  the 
sham  of  her  profession  on  the  ground  that  it  de 
ceives  many  persons  into  happiness." 

He  struck  another  match  and  looked  again  at 
the  ghostly  paraphernalia  about  him.  Near  him 
hung  a  black  robe  with  a  large  hood.  He  crushed 
one  of  the  folds  in  his  hands  and  was  surprised  to 
discover  how  thin  it  was  and  into  how  small  space 
it  could  be  compressed.  Not  far  away  stood  sev 
eral  pairs  of  large  slippers  of  soft  black  felt.  The 
white  robes  were  also  of  thinnest  gossamer — flimsy 
stuff  that  swayed  like  smoke  when  he  breathed 
toward  it. 

By  the  light  of  a  third  match  he  looked  more 
209 


210       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

carefully  at  the  other  apparatus.  There  was  a 
large  pair  of  angel-wings,  of  the  conventional 
shape.  The  assortment  of  masks  was  sufficiently 
varied  for  the  representation  of  many  types  of 
men  and  women  of  different  ages. 

The  match  burned  down  to  his  fingers,  and  again 
he  sat  in  darkness,  wondering  at  the  elaborateness 
of  the  medium's  outfit.  She  was  a  fraud,  but  he 
liked  her — yes,  pitied  her — and  he  felt  inclined  to 
excuse  in  so  far  as  he  could.  For  the  kiss  which 
he  had  given  her  he  felt  no  regret ;  it  was  hers,  in 
all  innocence,  for  what  of  good  she  might  have 
found  in  it. 

The  minutes  dragged  by.  He  thought  of  the 
precious  documents,  safe  in  the  inside  pocket  of 
his  coat.  What  they  were,  he  did  not  try  to  deter 
mine,  but  it  was  plain  that  they  must  be  of  inter 
national  importance.  The  talk  of  ships  and  Al- 
catrante's  references  to  commissions  had  puzzled 
him.  But  suddenly  came  to  his  mind  the  news 
paper  rumors  that  Japan  was  secretly  adding  ves 
sels  to  her  navy  through  the  agency  of  a  South 
American  republic  which  was  having  cruisers  and 
battle-ships  built  in  Europe,  to  turn  them  over  at 
their  completion,  to  the  Japanese.  There  was,  as 


POWER    OF    DARKNESS  211 

jet,  no  international  proof  of  this  policy,  for  none 
of  the  ships  had  been  completed,  but  the  South 
American  country  was  certainly  adopting  a  policy 
of  naval  construction  quite  out  of  proportion  to 
her  position  among  the  Powers. 

How  came  the  girl  to  be  involved  in  this  mix-up 
of  nations?  Through  her  father,  of  course — but 
who  was  he?  A  concessionaire?  Her  courage 
and  determination,  employed  against  shrewd  men, 
was  as  notable  as  the  beauty  of  her  face  and  mind, 
for  she  was  like  a  queen  in  her  assured  compre 
hension. 

How  it  quickened  his  heart  to  think  of  her !  The 
poor,  faded  medium,  with  the  smolder  of  old  flames 
in  her  eyes,  with  the  records  of  hard  experience 
written  on  her  face,  was  a  child  in  stature  beside 
the  girl — a  child  with  yearnings  that  could  never 
be  satisfied. 

Well,  the  girl  had  doubted  him.  He  could  not 
wonder  at  that,  for  the  facts  were  all  against  him, 
and  she  had  known  him  only  for  a  few  hours.  Yet 
he  had  hoped — he  had  believed — that  she  would 
know  the  truth  and  the  devotion  in  him  without 
further  evidence.  Perhaps  he  had  expected  too 
much  from  her  noble  insight.  After  all — and  that 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

was  part  of  the  loveliness  of  her — she  was  a  very 
human  girl. 

The  panel  swung  open,  and  Madame  Alia  stood 
looking  down  at  him.  She  spoke  in  an  undertone. 

"  The  Japs  are  still  watching.  Arima  is  sitting 
on  the  fire-escape  by  his  window,  and  I  can  hear 
the  other  fellow  moving  around  in  the  hall  outside 
my  door.  I  think  they're  on  to  your  being  here." 

Orme  thought  for  a  minute.  "  I've  got  to  get 
away  soon,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  mind  telling  you 
that  there  are  papers  that  must  be  delivered  before 
twelve  o'clock  to-night." 

"  Can  I  take  them  for  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  where  to  tell  you  to  take  them." 

She  sighed.     "  I  guess  you  don't  trust  me." 

"  Trust  you  ?  Of  course,  I  do.  But  the  truth 
is,  Madame  Alia,  that  it  is  going  to  need  hard 
work  on  my  part  to  find  the  person  to  whom  the 
papers  belong.  I  don't  even  know  his  name." 
Secretly  he  condemned  himself  now,  because  he  had 
not  overcome  his  scruples  and  looked  at  the  ad 
dress  on  the  envelope  while  he  had  the  chance. 

Again  she  sighed.  "  Well,"  she  said,  "  of 
course,  it's  beyond  me.  Do  you — do  you  mind  my 
knowing  your  name?  " 


POWER    OF    DARKNESS  213 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said.  "  I  didn't  realize  that 
you  didn't  know  it  already.  My  name  is  Robert 
Orme." 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  smile.  "  Well,  Mr. 
Orme,  I'll  get  you  out  of  this.  I  think  I  know  a 
way.  But  you'll  have  to  do  just  what  I  tell  you." 

"  I  depend  on  you,"  he  said. 

She  laid  her  hand  on  his  shoulder  with  a  friendly 
pressure.  "  You'll  have  to  wait  in  here  a  while 
longer — and  you'll  have  to  keep  mighty  quiet. 
I've  got  a  circle  at  three  o'clock — a  seance.  They 
come  once  a  week,  and  I  can't  well  put  them  off. 
You  see,  I  work  alone.  It's  a  small  circle,  and  I 
never  liked  the  idea  of  helpers;  they're  likely  to 
give  you  away  sooner  or  later.  I  stretch  a  curtain 
across  this  corner  for  a  cabinet,  and  they  tie  me 
to  a  chair — and  then  things  happen."  She 
smiled  faintly.  "  I  know  you  won't  hurt  my 
game." 

"  All  your  secrets  are  safe  with  me."  He 
glanced  at  the  dark  interior  of  the  closet. 

"  I  didn't  know  any  other  place  to  put  you,"  she 
said  simply.  "  They'd  have  got  you,  if  you  had 
went  to  the  hall — Sh-h !  "  The  panel  closed  and 
she  was  away.  A  moment  later  he  heard  her  talk- 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

ing  with  Arima,  who  apparently  had  again  climbed 
up  to  her  window. 

"  Thief  must  be  here,"  said  Arima.  "  He  not 
been  in  hall.  My  friend  know.  We  see  him  come 
in  here." 

"  I  told  you  he  wasn't  here.  If  you  don't  believe 
me,  why  don't  you  call  the  cops." 

"  We  not  want  cops.     I  come  in  and  watch." 

"  But  I'm  going  to  hold  a  circle  here  in  a  few 
minutes." 

"  What  ?  "  Arima's  voice  had  a  puzzled  note. 

"  A  seance.  The  spirits  come."  You  know. 
All  sit  around,  with  the  light  turned  down,  and 
spirits  come." 

"  Oh !  "  The  Japanese  either  understood  or  pre 
tended  to.  "  I  come,  then." 

After  a  period  of  hesitation  the  woman  said: 
"  Why,  yes,  I  guess  you  can — if  you  keep  still. 
Your  friend  can  come,  too.  You're  a  neighbor, 
and  I  won't  charge  you  anything." 

"  All  right.  I  call  my  friend."  Footsteps 
crossed  the  room  and  the  door  to  the  hall  was 
opened.  Presently  it  closed  again,  and  Orme 
heard  fragments  of  a  conversation  in  Japanese. 

From   other    sounds   Orme   gathered   that    the 


POWER    OF    DARKNESS  215 

woman  was  arranging  chairs.  "  Sit  here,  you 
two,"  he  heard  her  say.  "  You'll  have  to  keep 
quiet  when  the  rest  come.  Do  just  what  they  do? 
Be  sure,  now." 

The  bell  now  began  to  ring  at  frequent  inter 
vals,  each  time  announcing  the  arrival  of  new 
comers.  Madame  Alia's  clients  were  quickly  as 
sembling;  Orme  could  hear  them  whispering 
among  themselves. 

A  clinking  noise  he  did  not  at  first  understand. 
Then  he  realized  that  it  was  the  sound  of  silver 
dropping  into  a  hat.  Someone  was  taking  up  the 
collection.  He  knew,  too,  when  they  hung  the 
curtain  across  his  corner  of  the  room,  shutting  off 
the  space  in  which  the  medium  was  to  sit,  and 
when  they  lighted  the  gas  and  drew  down  the 
shades  at  the  window.  Then  he  heard  them  lead 
her  into  the  cabinet  and  tie  her  to  the  chair. 

The  silence  that  followed  these  preparations 
grew  oppressive.  The  clients  were  waiting  for 
the  right  "  current,"  and  Madame  Alia,  Orme  had 
no  doubt,  was  using  the  interval  to  free  herself 
from  her  bonds. 

In  a  little  while  someone  started  the  hymn, 
"Over  the  River  They  Beckon  to  Me,"  and  the 


216       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

others  took  it  up — women's  voices,  chiefly,  strug 
gling  through  the  melody  in  their  trebles,  with  the 
mumbled  undertones  of  one  or  two  men. 

A  draught  of  cooler  air  struck  Orme's  cheek;  a 
hand  found  his  shoulder ;  a  voice  whispered.  Un 
der  cover  of  the  singing  Madame  Alia  had  opened 
the  panel.  Her  lips  were  close  to  his  ear.  In  the 
creepy  tension  of  the  waiting  Orme  had  almost 
forgotten  that  Madame  Alia's  ghosts  were  a  cheat, 
and  the  touch  of  her  hand  made  him  start,  but  her 
first  words  brought  him  to  himself. 

"  Hush !  "  she  whispered.  "  You'll  get  your 
chance  in  a  minute.  Put  on  a  pair  of  black  felt 
slippers.  Here " — she  groped  along  the  floor, 
and  gave  him  the  slippers.  They  were  large,  and 
went  easily  over  his  shoes. 

"  Now  the  black  robe,  just  behind  you." 

He  took  it  from  its  peg,  and  slipped  into  it. 

"  Cover  your  head  and  face  with  the  hood." 

He  did  as  directed,  finding  the  eyeholes  with  his 
fingers. 

"  Hide  your  hands  in  the  sleeves.  Now,  listen. 
I'm  going  to  keep  them  busy  looking  at  the  cur 
tains.  When  you  hear  a  gong  ring  three  times, 
come  through  the  panel,  and  go  between  the  cur- 


POWER    OF    DARKNESS  217 

tain  and  the  wall-hanging,  on  the  side  toward  the 
window.  The  gas  is  down  to  a  pin-point.  Those 
folks  think  they  can  see  a  lot  more  than  they  do. 
But  they  won't  see  you,  unless  you  show  some 
white.  Anyhow  they'll  be  watching  the  cabinet. 
Keep  outside  the  circle  of  chairs,  and  work  your 
way  to  the  door  of  the  next  room.  There  are 
hangings  there;  go  through  them.  You'll  find 
light  enough  in  the  next  room  to  get  to  the  door 
into  the  hall.  First  stuff  the  robe  under  the  sofa. 
You'll  find  your  hat  under  there.  You  left  it  here 
when  you  came,  and  I  tucked  it  away.  You'd  bet 
ter  wear  the  slippers  down  to  the  street.  Never 
mind  about  returning  them — unless  you  care  to 

come.     Now,  be  careful." 

"  The  Japanese — where  are  they?  " 
"  At  the  other  side  of  the  circle.  Don't  worry 
about  them.  They're  only  kids  when  it  comes  to 
my  game.  Now,  wait  till  I  get  the  things  I  need." 
She  slipped  past  him  in  the  closet,  and  he  heard 
faint  rustlings  as  she  gathered  her  paraphernalia. 
Soon  she  was  back  at  the  panel.  The  last  stanza 
of  the  hymn  was  drawing  to  a  close.  "  Be  sure 
you  follow  directions,"  she  whispered. 

"  I  will."     He  pressed  her  hand  gratefully. 


218       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  And — and  you  won't  forget  me." 

With  a  sudden  yearning  that  seemed  to  be  be 
yond  her  control,  she  leaned  her  body  against  him. 
Her  warm  breath  was  on  his  face;  her  arm  found 
its  way  around  him  and  held  him  convulsively. 

"  Oh,"  she  whispered,  "  I  can't  bear  to  have  you 
go.  Don't  forget  me — please  don't  forget  me." 

"  I  shall  never  forget  you,  and  what  you  have 
done  for  me,"  he  answered  gravely. 

"  You  will  come  back  and  see  me — sometime?  " 

"  I  will  -come  back.  And  I  should  like  to  bring 
a  friend,  who  will  have  even  more  cause  to  thank 
you  than  I  have.' 

"  A  friend?  "  A  tinge  of  apprehension  colored 
the  question :  "  A — a  woman  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

The  soft  curves  of  her  body  were  quickly  with 
drawn  from  him. 

"  Oh,"  she  whispered,  "  I  don't  believe  I  want 
to  see  her." 

For  a  moment  she  stood  motionless.  Then 
she  said: 

"  Are  you  sorry  you  kissed  me  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  answered,  "  I  am  not." 

Her  lips  brushed  his  forehead,  and  he  was  alone. 


POWER    OF   DARKNESS  219 

Groping  with  one  hand,  he  assured  himself  that  the 
panel  remained  open.  All  in  black,  he  awaited 
the  signal. 

And  now  strange  manifestations  began  in  the 
room  without.  There  were  rappings,  some  faint, 
some  loud — coming  apparently  from  all  quarters. 
Invisible  fingers  swept  gently  across  the  strings  of 
a  guitar.  Then  came  the  soft  clangor  of  a  gong 
— once,  twice,  three  times. 

Orme  slipped  through  the  panel,  into  the  cab 
inet.  Keeping  close  to  the  wall,  he  moved  to  the 
left  and  worked  out  into  the  room.  The  rappings 
were  now  louder  than  before — loud  and  continuous 
enough  to  cover  any  slight  sound  he  might  make. 
A  little  gasp  came  from  the  circle  as  he  went  out 
into  the  room.  At  first  he  thought  that  he  had 
been  seen.  To  his  eyes,  fresh  from  complete  dark 
ness,  the  room  seemed  moderately  light;  but  the 
gas  was  little  more  than  a  tiny  blue  dot. 

As  he  took  a  step  forward  he  saw  why  the  circle 
had  gasped.  Through  the  curtains  of  the  cabinet 
came  the  semblance  of  a  tenuous  wraith  in  long, 
trailing  robes  of  white.  It  was  almost  formless, 
its  outlines  seeming  to  melt  into  the  gloom. 

Advancing  a  little  way  into  the  circle,  it  shrank 


220       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

back  as  though  timorous,  then  wavered.  From 
the  circle  came  a  woman's  voice — anxious,  eager, 
straining  with  heart-break — "  Oh,  my  sister !  " 

The  figure  turned  toward  her,  slowly  extended 
its  arms,  and  glided  back  to  the  curtains,  where  it 
stood  as  though  waiting. 

The  sobbing  woman  arose  from  her  chair  and 
hastened  toward  the  wraith. 

"  Agnes !  "  she  whispered  imploringly.  "  Won't 
you  speak  to  me,  Agnes  ?  " 

The  ghostly  figure  slowly  shook  its  head. 

"  Are  you  happy,  Agnes  ?  Tell  me.  Oh,  don't 
go  until  you  have  told  me." 

The  figure  nodded  mutely,  and  with  a  final  slow 
gesture,  waved  the  woman  back  to  her  seat. 

Meantime  Orme  cast  his  eyes  over  the  circle. 
Dimly  he  saw  faces,  some  stolid,  some  agitated; 
and  there,  at  the  farther  end  were  the  two  Jap 
anese,  intent  as  children  on  these  wonders.  Their 
sparkling  eyes  were  directed  to  the  cabinet. 

The  apparition  had  disappeared  between  the 
curtains.  But  now  there  was  a  fresh  gasp  of  won 
der,  as  the  figure  of  a  little  child  stepped  out 
into  the  room.  It  did  not  go  far  from  the  cabi 
net,  and  it  alternately  advanced  and  retreated, 


POWER    OF    DARKNESS 

turning  this  way  and  that,  as  though  looking  for 
someone. 

"  It  wants  its  mother ! "  exclaimed  one  of  the 
women  in  the  circle.  "  Is  your  mother  here,  lit 
tle  one?  " 

The  child  stared  at  the  speaker,  then  withdrew 
to  the  curtains. 

"  They  will  begin  to  talk  after  a  while,"  ex 
plained  the  woman — "  when  the  control  gets 
stronger.  I  always  feel  so  tender  for  these  little 
lost  spirits  that  come  back  to  hunt  for  their  loved 
ones." 

Orme  moved  swiftly  around  the  circle.  He 
passed  so  close  to  the  Japanese  that  he  could  have 
touched  them.  The  felt  slippers  made  his  steps 
noiseless ;  the  thick  rug  absorbed  the  shock  of  his 
weight. 

He  passed  through  the  hangings  of  the  doorway 
to  the  next  room.  There  he  had  no  gaslight ;  the 
window-shades,  however,  were  not  drawn  so  closely 
but  that  a  little  daylight  entered.  He  removed 
the  robe  and  stuffed  it  under  the  old  sofa  at  one 
side. 

His  hat,  as  Madame  Alia  had  said,  was  there, 
and  he  put  it  on  and  went  to  the  hall  door.  The 


222       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

circle  had  begun  to  sing  another  hymn.  Orme  got 
into  the  hall,  shut  the  door  silently,  and  hurried 
down  the  stairs,  the  long-drawn  strains  of  the  song 
following  him  and  dying  away  as  he  neared  the 
street  entrance.  In  the  lower  hall  he  removed  the 
felt  slippers  and  tossed  them  into  a  corner. 

He  was  amazed  at  the  loudness  of  the  street 
noises,  and  the  glare  of  the  sunlight  as  he  stepped 
to  the  sidewalk.  He  stood  there  blinking  for  a 
moment,  until  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the 
light.  The  foot-procession  of  the  city  streamed 
by  him. 

Suddenly  a  man  turned  in  toward  the  doorway, 
and,  with  a  startled  exclamation,  stopped  short. 
Orme  found  himself  looking  into  the  gleaming  eyes 
of  Alcatrante. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AN  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  SEA 

"  OH,  Mr.  Orme,  you  are  the  man  I  most  wished 
to  see."  The  minister's  voice  carried  a  note  of  un 
restrained  eagerness.  He  extended  his  hand. 

Orme  accepted  the  salutation,  mustering  the  ap 
pearance  of  a  casual  meeting;  he  must  keep  Al- 
catrante  out  of  the  building. 

"  I  was  sorry  that  I  could  not  be  at  your  apart 
ment  this  morning,"  continued  Alcatrante,  "  and 
I  hope  you  did  not  wait  too  long." 

"  Oh,  no,"  replied  Orme.  "  I  waited  for  a  little 
while,  but  concluded  that  something  had  called  you 
away.  Has  Senhor  Poritol  recovered  from  his 
anxiety  ?  " 

"  Why,  no,"  said  Alcatrante.  "  But  the  course 
of  events  has  changed."  He  linked  his  arm  in 
Orme's  and  walked  along  with  him  toward  the 
center  of  the  city.  "  You  see,"  he  went  on,  "  my 
young  friend  Poritol  overestimated  the  importance 
of  that  marked  bill.  It  did  give  the  clue  to  the 
hiding  place  of  certain  papers  which  were  of  great 

223 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

value  to  him.  What  he  failed  to  realize  was  that 
the  papers  could  be  of  little  importance  to  others. 
And  yet,  so  perturbed  is  he  that  he  has  asked  me 
to  offer  a  considerable  reward  for  the  recovery  of 
these  papers." 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes."  Alcatrante  sent  a  slanting  glance  at 
Orme.  "  The  sum  is  ridiculously  large,  but  he  in 
sists  on  offering  one  thousand  dollars." 

"  Quite  a  sum,"  said  Orme  calmly.  He  was 
interested  in  the  minister's  indirections. 

"  As  for  the  events  of  last  night " — continued 
Alcatrante,  stopping  short,  with  a  significant 
glance. 

"  Well?  "  said  Orme  indifferently. 

"  I  trust  that  you  did  not  think  me  absurd  for 
sending  that  detective  to  you.  That  I  did  so  was 
a  result  of  poor  Poritol's  frantic  insistence." 

"Indeed?" 

"  My  young  friend  was  so  afraid  that  you 
would  be  robbed." 

"  I  was  robbed,"  laughed  Orme,  trying  to  make 
light  of  the  situation. 

"  Why,  how  was  that  ?  "  Alcatrante's  surprise 
was  well  assumed. 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA     225 

"  Oh,  after  I  said  good-night  to  you,  the  two 
Japanese  caught  me  while  I  was  going  through 
the  tunnel  to  the  courtyard." 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Orme !  " 

"  They  are  -clever,  those  Japanese." 

"  And  afterward  you  went  out  again?  " 

"What  makes  you  think  that?" 

Alcatrante  bit  his  lip.  "  Why,"  he  stammered, 
"  the  detective  reported  that  you  were  absent  when 
he  arrived." 

"  And  therefore,"  remarked  Orme  coolly,  "  he 
got  access  to  my  apartment  and,  after  rummaging 
through  my  things,  went  sound  asleep  in  my  bed 
room,  where  I  found  him  snoring  when  I  re 
turned." 

The  minister  swung  his  cane  viciously  at  a  bit 
of  paper  that  lay  on  the  sidewalk. 

"  He  was  not  a  clever  detective,"  continued 
Orme.  "  And  as  for  Poritol,  don't  you  think  he 
had  better  offer  his  reward  to  the  Japanese?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Alcatrante.  "  They  may  have 
stolen  the  clue  from  you,  but  I  have  reason  to 
think  that  the  papers  were  already  gone  when 
they  went  to  look  for  them.  Poritol  is  really 
very  anxious." 


£26       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Doubtless,"  said  Orme. 

"  Perhaps,"  added  Alcatrante,  after  a  short 
wait,  "  he  might  even  go  as  high  as  two  thousand." 

"Indeed?  Then  there  will  surely  be  many  an 
swers  to  his  advertisement." 

"  Oh,  he  will  not  advertise."  Alcatrante 
laughed.  "  Already  he  knows  where  the  papers 
are.  While  waiting  for  the  clue  of  the  bill,  he 
discovered  what  others  had  already  availed  them 
selves  of  it." 

"  That  is  curious."  Orme  smiled.  "  How  did 
he  discover  that  ?  " 

"  In  a  roundabout  way.  I  won't  take  time  for 
the  story." 

They  walked  along  in  silence  for  a  little  distance. 
Orme  was  figuring  on  an  escape,  for  the  minister's 
clutch  on  his  arm  was  like  that  of  a  drowning 
man's.  Finally  he  sought  the  simplest  means  of 
getting  away.  "  I  have  an  engagement,"  he  said. 
"  I  shall  have  to  leave  you,  here.  Thank  you  for 
walking  with  me  thus  far."  He  disengaged  his 
arm. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Orme,"  said  Alcatrante,  "  why 
should  we  beat  around  the  bush?  " 

"  Why,  indeed?  "  said  Orme. 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA 

"  Poritol  knows  that  his  papers  are  in  your  pos 
session.  Speaking  for  him,  I  offer  you  five 
thousand." 

"  Why  do  you  drag  Poritol  into  this  ?  "  said 
Orme.  "  You  know  that  he  has  merely  been  your 
agent  from  the  start.  You  think  he  has  bungled, 
but  I  tell  you,  you  are  the  one  who  bungled,  for 
you  picked  him  to  do  the  work.  He  had  bad  luck 
hiring  a  burglar  for  you.  He  lost  his  head  when 
he  ran  away  with  another  person's  motor-car  and 
had  to  hand  the  marked  bill  to  a  country  justice. 
He  showed  bad  judgment  when  he  tried  to  fool  me 
with  a  fancy  lie.  But  you  are  the  real  bungler, 
Senhor  Alcatrante.  Any  capable  diplomat  could 
tell  you  that." 

Alcatrante's  yellow  face  grew  white  about  the 
lips.  His  eyes  flashed  balefully. 

"  Curse  you  ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  know 
more  than  is  good  for  you.  Take  care !  " 

Orme  laughed  in  disgust.  "  Oh,  drop  this  melo 
drama.  I  am  not  afraid  of  cheap  Machiavellis. 
In  this  country  there  are  some  crimes  that  are  not 
excused  by  high  office." 

The  minister's  teeth  showed.  "  You  shall  see, 
my  young  friend." 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Doubtless.  But  let  me  tell  you  one  thing ;  if 
anything  happens  to  me,  my  friends  will  know 
where  to  look  for  the  criminal." 

Alcatrante  snarled.     "  Don't  be  too  sure " 

"  If  necessary,"  continued  Orme,  "  a  word  to 
certain  persons  as  to  the  commission  for  building 
warships — Five  hundred  thousand,  is  it  not?  by 
the  new  arrangement — in  gold " 

Alcatrante,  in  ungovernable  rage,  raised  his  light 
cane  and  struck.  Orme  fended  the  blow  with  his 
arm,  then  wrenched  the  cane  away  and  threw  it 
into  the  street.  A  swarm  of  passers-by  gathered 
about  them  so  quickly  that  in  a  moment  they  were 
the  center  of  a  circle. 

"  You  dunce,"  said  Orme.  "  Do  you  want  the 
police  ?  " 

"  No,"  muttered  Alcatrante,  controlling  him 
self  with  a  great  effort.  "  You  are  right."  He 
darted  into  the  crowd  at  one  side,  and  Orme,  quick 
to  take  the  hint,  disappeared  in  the  opposite  direc 
tion,  crossing  the  street  and  jumping  into  an 
empty  cab,  which  had  drawn  up  in  anticipation 
of  a  fight. 

"  To  the  Rookery,"  he  ordered,  naming  the  first 
office-building  that  came  into  his  head. 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA      229 

"  Sure,"  said  the  driver,  and  away  they  rattled. 

A  glance  back  showed  Orme  that  the  crowd  was 
dispersing. 

At  a  distance  was  Alcatrante.  He  had  seen 
Orme's  escape,  and  was  looking  about  vainly  for 
another  cab.  But  cabs  are  not  numerous  on  North 
Parker  Street,  and  Orme,  so  far  as  he  could  tell, 
was  not  followed. 

When  his  cab  drew  up  at  the  busy  entrance  on 
La  Salle  Street,  he  found  his  way  to  the  nearest 
public  telephone.  The  hour  was  close  to  five,  and 
he  must  discover  quickly  where  he  could  find  the 
girl.  He  called  up  the  Pere  Marquette.  "  This 
is  Mr.  Orme,"  he  explained  to  the  clerk.  "  Have 
there  been  any  calls  or  messages  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wallingham  called  up 
at  twelve-thirty  to  know  if  you  were  going  to  Arra- 
dale  with  them." 

The  golfing  engagement!  Orme  had  not  even 
thought  of  it  since  the  evening  before. 

"  Anything  else  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  A  Japanese  came  about  one  o'clock. 
He  left  no  name." 

"The  same  man  who  came  last  evening?" 

"  No,  sir,  an  older  man." 


230       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

The  Japanese  minister  had  doubtless  gone 
straight  from  Arima's  apartment  to  the  Pere  Mar- 
quette.  "  Anything  else?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  There  was  a  '  phone  call  for  you  about  eleven 
o'clock.  The  party  left  no  name." 

"A  woman's  voice?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  She  said:  «  Tell  Mr.  Orme  that  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  call  him  up  at  noon,  but  will 
try  to  do  so  as  near  two  o'clock  as  possible.'  " 

"  Did  she  call  up  again  at  two  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.     There's  no  record  of  it." 

Orme  understood.  In  the  interval  after  her  at 
tempt  to  reach  him  she  had  learned  at  Arima's  of 
his  seeming  treachery.  "  Very  well,"  he  said  to 
the  clerk,  and  hung  up  the  receiver. 

What  should  he  do  now  ?  The  girl  had  given 
him  up.  He  did  not  know  her  name  or  where  to 
find  her,  and  yet  find  her  he  must  and  that  within 
the  next  few  hours.  The  unquestionably  great 
importance  of  the  papers  in  his  pocket  had  begun 
to  weigh  on  him  heavily.  He  was  tempted  to  take 
them  out,  there  in  the  telephone-booth,  and  exam 
ine  them  for  a  clue.  The  circumstances  justified 
him. 

But — he  had  promised  the  girl !    Stronger  than 


AN  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  SEA  231 
his  curiosity,  stronger  almost  than  his  wish  to  de 
liver  the  papers,  was  his  desire  to  keep  that 
promise.  It  may  have  been  foolish,  quixotic ;  but 
he  resolved  to  continue  as  he  had  begun.  "  At  ten 
o'clock,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  if  I  have  not  found 
her,  I  will  look  at  the  papers  or  go  to  the  police — 
do  whatever  is  necessary."  He  did  not  like  to 
break  promises  or  miss  engagements. 

There  was  his  engagement  with  the  Walling- 
hams.  It  had  absolutely  gone  from  his  mind. 
Bessie  would  forgive  him,  of  course.  She  was  a 
sensible  little  woman,  and  she  would  know  that  his 
failure  to  appear  was  due  to  something  unavoid 
able  and  important,  but  Orme's  conscience  bothered 
him  a  little  because  he  had  not,  before  setting  out 
that  morning,  telephoned  to  her  that  he  might  be 
detained. 

Bessie  Wallingham !  She  knew  the  girl !  Why 
had  he  not  thought  of  that  before? 

He  got  the  Wallinghams'  number.  Were  they 
at  home  ?  No,  they  had  gone  to  Arradale  and 
would  probably  remain  until  the  last  evening  train. 
He  rang  off. 

It  remained  to  try  Arradale.  After  some  delay, 
he  got  the  clubhouse.  Mrs.  Wallingham  ?  Yes, 


232       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

she  had  just  come  in.  Would  Mr.  Orme  hold  the 
wire  ? 

Mr.  Orme  certainly  would,  and  presently  he  was 
rewarded  for  the  delay  by  hearing  Bessie's  brisk 
little  voice. 

"Hello?" 

"Who?" 

"Bob?" 

"Well  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself; 
we  waited  over  and  took  the  next  train." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  all  about  these  very  busy 
people." 

"  Nonsense !  I  was  fooling,  of  course.  But 
we  were  sorry  you  didn't  come." 

"What?" 

"That  girl?  Why,  what's  the  matter  with 
you,  Robert  Orme?  " 

"Business  importance?  That  won't  do,  Bob. 
You'll  have  to  'fess  up." 

"Do  I  know  such  a  girl?     Are  you  serious?" 

"  Why,  Bob,  I  can  think  of  several.  Shall  I 
name  them  ?  " 

"  Not  give  their  names !  What  on  earth  is  the 
matter  with  you?  " 

"  Oh,  part  of  the  business,  is  it  ?    Well,  let  me 


AN  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  SEA  233 
see.  Tall  and  beautiful,  you  say.  Dark  eyes  and 
hair.  A  black  touring-car.  Hum!  I  know 
three  girls  to  whom  the  description  applies.  It 
might  be — but  you  don't  wish  me  to  mention  the 
name.  Well,  you'll  have  to  think  of  something 
more  distinctive." 

Orme  thought  in  vain.  The  image  of  the  girl 
was  ever  in  his  mind,  but  describe  her  he  could  not. 
At  last  he  said :  "  The  girl  I  mean  lives  in  one 
of  the  suburbs.  She  has  a  father  who  has  lately 
undergone  a  slight  operation.  He  is,  I  think,  a 
man  who  is  involved  in  negotiations  with  other 
countries." 

"Oh!  Where  did  you  meet  her?  Why,  Bob, 
how  interesting!  I  never  thought  of  her,  but 
she's  one  of  my  dearest  friends." 

"  Now,  listen,  Bessie.  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  I  should  reach  her  father's  house  before  mid 
night.  You  must  help  me." 

He  heard  her  laugh.  "  Help  you  ?  Of  course 
I  will." 

"  Where  does  she  live  ?  " 

"  Not  very  far  from  Arradale.  Bob,  you  come 
right  out  here.  I  will  see  to  the  rest.  It  cer 
tainly  is  the  funniest  coincidence." 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  I'll  catch  the  first  train." 

"  There's  one  at  six — for  men  who  come  out  to 
dine." 

"  All  right.     Expect  me.     Good-by." 

Orme  looked  at  his  watch.  He  had  an  hour  and 
a  half — which  meant  that  time  must  be  killed.  It 
would  be  unwise  to  return  to  the  Pere  Marquette, 
for  the  South  Americans  and  the  Japanese  might 
both  be  on  watch  for  him  there.  But  he  did  not 
care  to  wander  about  the  streets,  with  the  chance 
of  coming  face  to  face  with  some  of  his  enemies. 
It  was  obvious  that  swift  and  elaborate  machinery 
would  be  set  in  motion  to  catch  him.  Of  course, 
there  were  many  places  where  he  could  conceal 
himself  for  an  hour,  but 

Tom  Wallingham's  office!  Why  had  he  not 
thought  of  that  before?  Tom  was  at  Arradale 
with  Bessie,  but  the  clerks  would  let  Orme  stay  in 
the  reception-room  until  it  was  time  to  start  for  his 
train.  Indeed,  Orme  remembered  that  Bixby,  the 
head  clerk,  had  been  at  the  wedding  of  Tom  and 
Bessie — had  in  fact  taken  charge  of  the  arrange 
ments  at  the  church. 

Moreover,  Tom's  office  was  in  this  very  build 
ing — the  Rookery.  Doubtless  it  was  for  this 


AN  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  SEA  235 
reason  that  the  Rookery  had  popped  into  his  head 
when  he  gave  directions  to  the  cab-driver  on 
North  Parker  Street. 

Hurrying  to  the  elevators,  Orme  was  about  to 
enter  the  nearest  one,  when  suddenly  a  hand  seized 
his  elbow  and  pulled  him  to  one  side.  He  turned 
quickly  and  saw — Alcatrante. 

The  minister  was  breathing  rapidly.  It  was 
plain  that  he  had  made  a  quick  pursuit,  but  though 
his  chest  heaved  and  his  mouth  was  partly  open, 
his  eyes  were  curiously  steady.  "  One  minute,  Mr. 
Orme,"  he  said,  forcing  his  lips  to  a  smile.  "  I 
had  hard  work  to  follow  you.  There  was  no  other 
cab,  but  a  small  boy  told  me  that  you  directed  your 
driver  to  the  Rookery.  Therefore,  I  got  on  a 
street-car  and  rode  till  I  found  a  cab."  He  said 
all  this  in  the  most  casual  tone,  retaining  his  hold 
on  Orme's  elbow  as  though  his  attitude  were  fami 
liar  and  friendly.  Perhaps  he  was  thus  detailing 
his  own  adventures  merely  to  gain  time ;  or  perhaps 
he  was  endeavoring  to  puzzle  Orme. 

But  Orme  was  simply  annoyed.  He  knew  how 
dangerous  Alcatrante  could  be.  "  I  am  tired  of 
being  followed,  Senhor,"  he  said  disgustedly,  free 
ing  his  elbow. 


236       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Alcatrante  continued  to  smile.  "  That  is  part 
of  the  game,"  he  said. 

"  Then  you  will  find  the  game  serious."  Orme 
shut  his  lips  together  and  glanced  about  for  a 
policeman. 

Alcatrante  again  grasped  his  elbow.  "  Do  you 
want  publicity  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Your  principals 
do  not.  Publicity  will  injure  us  all." 

Orme  had  been  given  enough  light  to  know  that 
the  South  American's  words  were  true. 

"  If  it  comes  to  publicity,"  continued  Alcatrante 
with  an  ugly  grin,  "  I  will  have  you  arrested 
for  stealing  a  certain  important — document  and 
offering  to  sell  it  to  me." 

"Rubbish!"  laughed  Orme.  "That  would 
never  work  at  all.  Too  many  persons  understand 
my  part  in  this  matter.  And  then  " — as  he  no 
ticed  the  flash  of  triumph  in  Alcatrante's  eyes — 
"  I  could  not  be  arrested  for  stealing  a  document 
which  was  not  in  my  possession."  It  was  too  late ; 
Alcatrante  had  been  able  to  verify  his  strong  sus 
picion  that  Orme  had  the  papers. 

A  wave  of  anger  swept  over  Orme.  "  Publicity 
or  no  publicity,"  he  said,  "  unless  this  annoyance 
stops,  I  will  have  you  arrested." 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA     237 

Alcatrante  smiled.  "  That  would  not  pay,  Mr. 
Orme.  There  would  be  counter-charges  and  you 
would  be  much  delayed — perhaps  even  till  after 
midnight  to-night.  You  Americans  do  not  know 
how  to  play  at  diplomacy,  Mr.  Orme." 

Controlling  himself,  Orme  hurried  quickly  to 
the  nearest  elevator.  He  had  timed  his  action ; 
the  starter  was  just  about  to  close  the  door  as  he 
hurried  in.  But  quick  though  he  was,  Alcatrante 
was  close  behind  him.  The  agile  South  American 
squeezed  into  the  elevator  by  so  close  a  margin 
that  the  door  caught  his  coat. 

"  Here !  What  you  tryin'  to  do  ?  "  shouted 
the  starter. 

Alcatrante,  pressing  in  against  Orme,  did  not 
reply. 

The  starter  jerked  the  door  open,  and  glared  at 
Alcatrante.  The  steady  and  undisturbed  eye  of 
the  minister  had  its  effect,  and  after  a  moment  of 
hesitation  the  starter  banged  the  door  shut  and 
gave  the  signal  and  the  car  leaped  upward. 

Tom  Wallingham's  office  was  on  the  eighth 
floor.  Though  he  knew  that  Alcatrante  would 
cling  to  him,  Orme  could  think  of  nothing  better 
to  do  than  to  go  straight  to  the  office  and  count 


238       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

on  the  assistance  of  Bixby,  who  would  certainly 
remember  him.  Accordingly  he  called  out 
"  Eight ! "  and,  ignoring  Alcatrante,  left  the  ele 
vator  and  walked  down  the  hall,  the  South  Ameri 
can  at  his  elbow. 

They  passed  a  long  series  of  doors,  the  glass 
panels  of  which  were  inscribed,  "  The  Wallingham 
Company — Private,"  with  index-fingers  pointing 
the  direction  of  the  main  entrance.  This  was  the 
Chicago  branch  of  the  great  New  York  Corpora 
tion,  and  Thomas  Wallingham,  senior,  had  placed 
his  son  in  charge  of  it  two  years  before.  The 
business  was  the  manufacturing  of  refrigerators. 
One  side  of  the  reception-room  which  Orme  entered 
hurriedly,  Alcatrante  still  beside  him,  was  given 
over  to  a  large  specimen  refrigerator  chamber, 
built  in  with  glistening  white  tiles.  The  massive 
door,  three  feet  thick,  was  wide  open,  showing  the 
spotless  inner  chamber.  In  the  outer  wall  was  a 
thermometer  dial  fully  a  foot  in  diameter. 

Once  inside  the  reception-room,  Orme  stopped 
and  looked  again  at  Alcatrante.  There  was 
menace  in  the  look,  but  the  South  American  did 
not  flinch.  Indeed,  the  glance  which  met  his  own 
seemed  to  Orme  to  be  disarmingly  good-natured. 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA     239 

Its  essence  was  a  humorous  recognition  that  the 
situation  had  its  ridiculous  side. 

But  Orme,  knowing  that  much  was  at  stake,  did 
not  for  an  instant  trust  his  unwelcome  companion. 
Alcatrante  would  cling  to  him  like  an  Old  Man  of 
the  Sea,  awaiting  the  opportunity  to  get  the  bet 
ter  of  him.  Every  wile  would  be  employed;  but 
publicity  was  no  part  of  the  game — Orme  began 
really  to  believe  that. 

To  shake  off  Alcatrante,  perhaps  there  was  no 
better  way  than  to  lure  him  to  some  deserted  place 
and  overpower  him.  But  would  not  Alcatrante  be 
likely  to  have  anticipated  such  a  move?  And 
would  he  not  resort  to  desperate  measures  of  his 
own  before  Orme  could  put  his  own  plans  into 
practice?  Bixby  might  help. 

Orme  walked  over  to  the  inquiry-window.  "  I 
want  to  see  Mr.  Bixby,"  he  said,  offering  his  card. 

The  young  woman  behind  the  window  took  the 
card,  but  at  the  same  time  she  said :  "  Mr.  Bixby 
left  a  few  minutes  ago.  He  won't  be  back  to-day. 
Shall  I  keep  the  card  for  him?  " 

"  It  doesn't  matter,  thank  you,"  he  said,  turn 
ing  away.  Luck  was  against  him.  Besides  Bixby 
no  one  in  that  office  knew  him. 


240       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Alcatrante  smiled  genially.  "  Since  Mr.  Bixby 
is  absent,"  he  remarked,  "  shall  we  leave  the  veri 
fication  of  the  notes  until  to-morrow?  " 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  "  exclaimed 
Orme. 

"  Why  " — Alcatrante' s  face  was  the  picture  of 
astonishment — "  the  Wallingham  Company  notes, 
of  course.  The  notes  you  wish  to  sell  me."  His 
voice  was  raised  so  that  the  girl  behind  the  window 
could  not  help  hearing. 

"  Rot !  "  said  Orme. 

"What?"  A  note  of  indignation  crept  into 
Alcatrante's  voice.  "  Are  you  evading?  Per 
haps  you  thought  I  would  not  insist  on  the  verifica 
tion."  Another  clerk,  a  man,  had  joined  the  girl 
behind  the  window.  Alcatrante  suddenly  ad 
dressed  him.  "  This  Mr.  Orme  told  me  that  he 
needed  to  raise  money  and  would  transfer  to  me 
cheap  some  notes  signed  by  your  company.  I  met 
him  at  the  hotel.  He  said  that,  if  I  would  come 
here  with  him,  he  would  show  the  notes  and  have 
them  verified.  I  don't  understand." 

The  clerk  left  the  window  and,  opening  a  door, 
came  into  the  reception-room.  "  What  are  the 
notes  you  have?  "  he  asked. 


AN   OLD   MAN    OF    THE    SEA      241 

"  I  have  none,"  replied  Orme,  in  disgust.  "  I 
have  never  pretended  to  have  any.  This  man  is 
crazy,  I  think."  He  pointed  to  Alcatrante.  "  He 
has  followed  me  here  uninvited  for  reasons  of  his 
own.  I  asked  for  Mr.  Bixby,  whom  I  know.  I 
would  have  asked  for  Mr.  Wallingham,  my  per 
sonal  friend,  but  that  I  had  already  learned  of  his 
being  at  Arradale." 

"  There's  funny  business  here  somewhere,"  ex 
claimed  Alcatrante,  with  great  earnestness.  "  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  you  did  not  introduce  your 
self  to  me  in  the  lobby  of  the  Framington  and  ask 
me  to  buy  the  notes  ?  " 

Orme  did  not  answer. 

With  a  conservative  eye  the  clerk  looked  at  the 
two.  He  was  not  one  to  involve  himself  in  a 
dubious  affair. 

"  I  can't  settle  this  matter  for  you,  gentlemen," 
he  said. 

With  a  slight  bow,  Orme  went  into  the  hall. 
It  dawned  upon  him  why  Alcatrante  had  invented 
so  remarkable  a  story.  Without  question,  the 
minister  had  feared  that  Orme  would  enlist  aid  in 
the  office,  or  that  at  least  he  would  manage  to  de 
posit  the  coveted  papers  in  safety  while  he  found 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

other  means  to  get  rid  of  his  shadow.  Hence 
the  sudden  effort  to  discredit  Orme. 

In  the  long  corridor  Orme  gave  no  further  at 
tention  to  Alcatrante,  who  was  pattering  along 
beside  him.  The  course  he  now  had  in  mind  was 
to  hire  a  cab  and  ride  out  of  the  city — all  the  way 
to  Arradale,  if  possible.  The  distance  could  not  be 
much  greater  than  fifteen  miles.  If  Alcatrante 
chose  to  pursue,  well  and  good.  There  would  be 
ways  of  disposing  of  him. 

Then  an  audacious  notion  flashed  into  Orme's 
mind.  Why  not  let  Alcatrante  ride  with  him?  Why 
not  take  the  minister  all  the  way  to  his  destination 
and  at  the  end  turn  him  over  as  a  prisoner? 

The  idea  was  hardly  practicable.  He  might 
meet  other  enemies,  and  in  that  event  he  would 
not  care  to  have  an  enemy  already  at  his  side. 
It  came  to  him  for  the  first  time  that  the  nearer 
he  approached  his  goal,  the  greater  would  be  the 
opposition  he  would  have  to  overcome.  Whatever 
else  the  South  Americans  and  Japanese  might  do, 
they  would  have  their  guards  about  the  house  of 
the  girl's  father.  Hitherto  he  had  assumed  that, 
once  free  of  Alcatrante  and  safe  on  the  train  to 
Arradale,  he  would  have  plain  going;  but  now  he 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA      243 

realized  that  the  dangers  would  pile  up  higher 
as  he  advanced.  In  any  event,  he  must  get  rid  of 
Alcatrante,  and  as  they  approached  the  elevator 
grills,  he  spoke. 

"  Senhor,"  he  said,  "  unless  you  stop  following 
me,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  hurt  you.  I  give  you  fair 
warning." 

Alcatrante  laughed.  "  If  you  hurt  me,  as  you 
threaten,  you  will  find  yourself  in  difficulties.  You 
will  be  arrested,  and  you  will  have  no  opportunity 
to  deliver  the  documents  on  time.  My  position 
as  minister — my  extra-territoriality — will  make 
it  very  difficult  for  you  to  extricate  yourself." 

Orme  looked  grimly  down  into  the  sallow  face. 
"  My  fist  against  your  chin,"  he  said,  "  might 
do  it." 

Alcatrante  did  not  lose  his  smile.  "  You  will 
hardly  try  that,  I  think.  There  would  not  be 
time  for  you  to  get  away.  People  in  these  pass 
ing  elevators  would  see  you." 

Orme  turned  away  and  pressed  the  "  down  " 
button,  and  a  few  seconds  later  a  descending  car 
stopped.  He  pushed  his  way  in,  Alcatrante  after 
him. 

The  elevator  was  crowded.     Clerks  and  stenog- 


244       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

raphers  were  beginning  to  leave  their  offices,  for 
the  hour  was  nearly  five.  Orme  wedged  his  way 
in  at  one  side  and,  in  order  to  gain  a  momentary 
sense  of  seclusion,  turned  his  back  upon  the  per 
sons  who  were  pressing  against  him  and  stood 
with  face  to  the  side  of  the  cage,  looking  through 
the  scroll-work  of  the  grating  to  the  swiftly  as 
cending  cables  in  the  next  well.  He  was  conscious 
that  Alcatrante  stood  close  to  him  as  the  car  began 
to  slip  downward.  It  was  all  very  ridiculous,  this 
persistent  pursuit  of  him. 

Suddenly  Alcatrante's  voice  burst  out,  "  Stop 
the  car!  I've  been  robbed!  Stop  the  car!" 

There  was  immediate  commotion ;  a  girl 
screamed,  and  the  swaying  of  the  huddled  group 
made  the  car  rattle.  The  elevator-man  quickly 
threw  over  his  lever.  The  car  stopped  with  a 
jerk,  between  floors. 

Orme  had  started  to  turn  with  the  others,  but 
with  a  quick  exclamation  he  checked  his  movement 
and  pressed  his  face  again  to  the  grating.  A  re 
markable  thing  had  happened.  The  ascending  car 
in  the  next  well  had  stopped  at  Alcatrante's  out 
cry.  The  few  passengers  it  was  carrying,  eager 
to  see  what  was  happening,  hurried  to  the  side 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA      245 

nearest  to  Orme.  Less  than  two  feet  from  his 
face  was  the  face  of  a  girl.  Almost  before  he 
saw  her  at  all  he  knew  her.  He  forgot  that  he 
had  given  her  apparent  cause  to  doubt  him;  he 
did  not  stop  to  wonder  what  she  was  doing  in 
this  building. 

"  Girl !  "  he  whispered. 

Her  lips  parted;  her  eyes  opened  wider. 

"Girl!  Go  to  Tom  Wallingham's  office.  I'll 
come  up  there.  Keep  out  of  sight  when  you  hear 
me  coming.  Alcatrante  is  with  me." 

She  nodded. 

"  I  have  the  papers,"  he  added,  and  his  heart 
thumped  happily  when  he  saw  joy  and  gratitude 
flash  into  her  eyes. 

From  his  position  and  manner  he  might  have 
been  explaining  to  her  what  was  happening  in 
his  own  car.  But  now,  conscious  of  the  necessity 
of  taking  part  in  the  discussion  about  him,  he 
reluctantly  turned  away  from  the  girl. 

Alcatrante  was  still  exclaiming  volubly.  His 
purse  had  disappeared.  It  had  been  in  his  pocket 
just  before  he  entered  the  car.  Therefore  some 
one  in  the  car  must  have  taken  it.  He  did  not 
accuse  any  single  person,  though  he  flashed  sus- 


246       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

picious  glances  at  Orme,  who  recognized,  of  course, 
that  the  move  was  directed  against  himself. 

To  embarrass  Orme  with  arrest  and  detention 
would  well  suit  the  purposes  of  Alcatrante.  At 
this  late  hour  such  an  event  would  prevent  the 
delivery  of  the  papers.  Orme  wondered  whether 
the  minister  had  realized  that  the  papers  might 
be  found  by  the  police  and  disposed  of  properly. 
The  explanation  of  this  apparent  oversight  on  the 
part  of  Alcatrante  was  not  difficult,  however,  for, 
perhaps  it  was  not  a  part  of  the  plan  that  Orme 
should  be  actually  thrown  into  a  cell.  It  was 
more  likely  that  an  arrest  would  be  followed,  after 
as  much  delay  as  Alcatrante  could  secure,  by  a 
refusal  to  prosecute.  One  advantage  to  Alca 
trante  would  be  the  opportunity  of  getting  as 
sistance  while  Orme  was  in  the  hands  of  the  police 
so  that  after  the  prisoner  was  released  he  would 
have  more  than  one  person  to  contend  with.  Alca 
trante  would  give  up  acting  alone. 

"  Somebody  has  my  purse ! "  Alcatrante  was 
shouting.  "  Somebody  here !  You  must  not  let 
anybody  out ! " 

The  elevator-boy  had  been  gaping  in  seeming 
paralysis,  but  now  several  of  the  passengers — men 


AN    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA      247 

who  doubtless  were  sure  of  their  positions — were 
angrily  ordering  him  to  take  the  car  down.  Some 
of  them  had  trains  to  catch. 

"  No  !     No  !  "  screamed  Alcatrante. 

Orme  had  kept  out  of  the  discussion,  but  now 
he  spoke  quietly.  "  I  think,  Senhor  Alcatrante  " 
— he  uttered  the  name  distinctly,  knowing  that 
the  South  American  probably  did  not  wish  him 
self  identified — "  I  think  that,  if  the  boy  will  take 
the  car  almost  to  the  bottom,  the  starter  will  help 
you." 

There  was  a  chorus  of  seconds  to  this  sugges 
tion.  The  boy  pulled  the  lever  and  let  the  car 
descend  slowly,  while  Alcatrante  continued  to 
exclaim. 

How  would  the  South  American  try  to  throw 
suspicion  where  he  wished  it?  Orme  puzzled  over 
this  question,  for  certainly  the  police  would  not 
arrest  all  the  passengers.  And  then  he  suddenly 
remembered  how  Alcatrante  had  crowded  against 
him  when  they  entered  the  car. 

A  cold  wave  of  horror  swept  over  him.  Was  it 
possible  that ? 

He  put  his  hand  into  the  left  side  pocket  of  his 
coat.  Something  was  there  that  did  not  belong 


248       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

there — a  smooth,  bulging  purse.  Alcatrante  had 
put  it  there. 

Orme  fingered  the  purse.  He  would  have  to  get 
rid  of  it,  but  he  dared  not  to  drop  it  to  the  floor, 
and  if  he  thrust  it  through  the  grating  and  let 
it  fall  into  the  elevator  well,  someone  would  be 
almost  certain  to  detect  the  action.  There  was 
only  a  moment  left  before  the  car  would  stop. 
He  looked  down  at  Alcatrante,  who  was  close  in 
front  of  him.  Then  his  face  relaxed  and  in  spite 
of  the  gravity  of  his  situation  he  smiled ;  for  he  had 
found  a  solution.  Promptly  he  acted  upon  it. 

The  car  halted  just  below  the  ceiling  of  the 
first  floor.  "What's  the  matter  with  you?" 
called  a  voice — the  voice  of  the  starter. 

"  Man  robbed,"  said  the  elevator-boy. 

"  Bring  the  car  down." 

"  No !  "  shouted  Alcatrante.  "  The  thief  is  in 
the  car.  He  must  not  escape." 

"  I  won't  let  him  out.     Bring  the  car  down." 

The  boy  let  the  car  descend  to  the  floor  level. 
The  starter  placed  himself  against  the  gate.  "  Now 
then,  who  was  robbed?  "  he  demanded. 

Alcatrante  crowded  forward.  "  It  was  I.  My 
purse  is  gone.  I  had  it  just  before  I  got  in." 


AN   OLD    MAN    OF    THE    SEA      249 

"Oh,  it  was  you,  was  it?"  The  starter  re 
membered  the  trouble  Alcatrante  had  made  a  few 
minutes  before.  "Sure  you  didn't  drop  it?" 

"  I  am  certain  that  I  did  not." 

The  passengers  were  shuffling  their  feet  about, 
in  a  vain  effort  to  touch  the  lost  property.  A 
young  girl  was  giggling  hysterically. 

"  Perhaps  you  put  it  in  the  wrong  pocket, 
and  didn't  look  careful  enough." 

"  I  looked,  I  looked,"  exclaimed  Alcatrante. 
"  Do  you  think  I  would  not  know.  See !  I  put 
it  in  this  pocket,  which  now  is  empty." 

He  thrust  his  hand  into  the  pocket  which  he 
had  indicated.  Suddenly  his  expression  changed 
to  astonishment. 

"Find  it?"  grinned  the  starter. 

With  the  blankest  of  looks  Alcatrante  pulled 
the  purse  from  his  pocket.  "  It  was  not  there 
two  minutes  ago,"  he  muttered. 

"  You've  been  dreamin',"  remarked  the  starter, 
opening  the  gate  with  a  bang.  "  All  out !  " 

Orme  chuckled  to  himself.  In  a  moment  Alca 
trante  would  realize  how  the  purse  had  been  re 
placed  in  his  pocket,  and  he  would  be  furious. 
Meantime  Orme  entered  another  elevator,  to  gq 


250       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

back  to  the  eighth  floor,  and,  as  he  had  expected, 
the  minister  followed  him. 

When  they  were  outside  the  office  of  the  Wal- 
lingham  Company,  Orme  paused,  his  hand  on  the 
door.  "  Senhor  Alcatrante,"  he  said,  "  this  busi 
ness  must  end.  I  shall  simply  have  to  call  the 
police." 

"  At  your  own  risk,"  said  Alcatrante.  Then 
an  ugly  light  flashed  in  his  eyes  and  his  upper  lip 
lifted  above  his  yellow  teeth.  "  You  got  the  better 
of  me  there  in  the  elevator,"  he  snarled.  "  You 
won't  get  the  better  again." 

Orme  opened  the  office-door.  He  glanced  about 
the  reception-room,  to  see  whether  the  girl  had 
hidden  herself.  She  was  not  in  view ;  indeed,  there 
was  even  no  one  at  the  inquiry-window.  Orme 
reasoned  that  at  this  hour  some  of  the  clerks  might 
be  leaving — which  would  mean,  perhaps,  that  they 
were  first  putting  away  their  books.  At  least 
they  would  not  be  expecting  business  callers. 

The  door  of  the  great  sample  refrigerator  was 
ajar  only  two  or  three  feet.  When  Orme  was 
there  a  few  minutes  before  it  had  been  wide  open. 
He  wondered  whether  the  girl  had  chosen  it  as 
her  hiding-place.  If  she  had,  his  plan  of  action 


AN  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  SEA  251 
would  be  simplified,  for  he  would  slip  the  papers  in 
to  her,  then  get  Alcatrante  from  the  room. 

In  a  casual  way  he  folded  his  arms.  He  could 
now  put  his  hand  into  his  inside  coat-pocket  and 
the  motion  would  hardly  be  noticed. 

For  a  moment  he  stood  as  though  waiting  for 
someone  to  appear  at  the  inquiry-window.  Though 
Alcatrante  was  watching  him  closely,  Orme  con 
tinued  to  act  as  if  he  were  the  only  person  in  the 
room. 

And  now  the  dial  of  the  big  thermometer  in 
the  outer  wall  of  the  refrigerator  appeared  to 
catch  his  eye,  and  he  strolled  over  to  it.  This 
placed  him  almost  in  the  open  doorway.  Ap 
parently  his  eyes  were  on  the  dial,  but  in  reality 
he  was  glancing  sidewise  into  the  chamber  of  the 
refrigerator.  He  glimpsed  a  moving  figure  in 
there — heard  a  faint  rustling.  Thrusting  his 
hand  into  the  inside  of  his  coat,  he  was  about  to 
take  out  the  precious  papers  to  pass  them  in  to 
her. 

Then  he  received  a  violent  push  from  behind. 
He  plunged  forward,  tripped  with  one  foot  on  the 
sill  of  the  refrigerator  doorway,  and  went  in  head 
long,  sprawling  on  the  tiled  floor.  His  clutching 


252       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

hand  caught  the  fold  of  a  woman's  skirt.  Then, 
though  he  remained  conscious,  everything  sud 
denly  turned  black. 

Bewildered  as  he  was,  several  seconds  passed  be 
fore  he  realized  that  the  massive  door  had  been 
closed — that  he  and  the  girl  were  prisoners. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK 

ORME'S  hand  still  held  her  skirt. 

"Girl!"  he  whispered. 

"  Yes.     Are  you  hurt  ?  " 

Her  voice  came  to  him  softly  with  all  its  solici 
tude  and  sympathy.  She  knelt,  to  help  him  if  need 
be,  and  her  warm,  supple  hand  rested  gently  on  his 
forehead.  He  could  have  remained  for  a  long 
time  as  he  was,  content  with  her  touch,  but  his 
good  sense  told  him  that  their  safety  demanded 
action. 

"  Not  hurt  at  all,"  he  said,  and  as  she  withdrew 
her  hand,  he  arose.  "  Alcatrante  caught  me  off 
guard,"  he  explained. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  him.     There  wasn't  time  to  warn 

you." 

"  He  has  been  dogging  me  for  an  hour,"  Orme 
•continued.  "  I  felt  as  though  he  were  sitting  on 
my  shoulders,  like  an  Old  Man  of  the  Sea." 

"  I  know  him  of  old,"  she  replied.    "  He  is  never 

to  be  trusted." 

853 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  But  you — how  did  you  happen  to  be  here,  in 
the  Rookery?  " 

"  In  the  hope  of  finding  you." 

"Finding  me?" 

"  I  called  up  the  Pere  Marquette  about  five  min 
utes  ago,  and  the  clerk  said  that  you  had  just  been 
talking  to  him  on  the  wire,  but  that  he  didn't  know 
where  you  were.  Then  I  remembered  that  you 
knew  the  Wallinghams,  and  I  came  to  Tom's  of 
fice  to  see  if  he  had  any  idea  where  you  were.  I 
was  on  my  way  when  I  passed  you  in  the  elevator." 

"  Tom  and  Bessie  are  at  Glenview,"  explained 
Orme. 

"Yes,  the  girl  at  the  inquiry-desk  told  me. 
She  went  to  get  her  hat  to  leave  for  the  night, 
and  I  slipped  into  this  chamber  to  wait  for  you." 

"  And  here  we  are,"  Orme  laughed — "  papers 
and  all.  But  I  wish  it  weren't  so  dark." 

Orme  hunted  his  pockets  for  a  match.  He  found 
just  one. 

"  I  don't  suppose,  Girl,  that  you  happen  to  have 
such  a  thing  as  a  match." 

She  laughed  lightly.     "  I'm  sorry — no." 

"  I  have  only  one,"  he  said.  "  I'm  going  to 
strike  it,  so  that  we  can  get  our  bearings." 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       255 

He  scratched  the  match  on  his  sole.  The  first 
precious  moment  of  light  he  permitted  himself  to 
look  at  her,  fixing  her  face  in  his  mind  as  though 
he  were  never  to  see  it  again.  It  rejoiced  him 
to  find  that  in  that  instant  her  eyes  also  turned 
to  his. 

The  interchange  of  looks  was  hard  for  him  to 
break.  Only  half  the  match  was  gone  before  he 
turned  from  her,  but  in  that  time  he  had  asked  and 
answered  so  many  unspoken  questions — questions 
which  at  the  moment  were  still  little  more  than 
hopes  and  yearnings.  His  heart  was  beating  rap 
idly.  If  she  had  doubted  him,  she  did  not  doubt 
him  now.  If  she  had  not  understood  his  feeling 
for  her,  she  must  understand  it  now.  And  the 
look  in  her  own  eyes — could  he  question  that  it  was 
more  than  friendly?  But  the  necessity  of  making 
the  most  of  the  light  forced  him  to  forget  for 
the  moment  the  tender  presence  of  the  girl  who 
filled  his  heart.  He  therefore  employed  himself 
with  a  quick  study  of  their  surroundings. 

The  chamber  was  about  ten  feet  square,  and 
lined  smoothly  with  white  tiling.  It  was  designed 
to  show  the  sanitary  construction  of  the  Walling- 
ham  refrigerator.  Orme  remembered  how  Tom 


256       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

had  explained  it  all  to  him  on  a  previous  visit 
to  Chicago. 

This  was  merely  a  storage  chamber.  There  was 
no  connection  with  an  ice-chamber,  and  there  were 
none  of  the  hooks  and  shelves  which  would  make 
it  complete  for  its  purpose.  The  only  appliance 
was  the  thermometer,  the  coils  of  which  were  fitted 
in  flush  with  the  tiling,  near  the  door,  and  pro 
tected  by  a  close  metal  grating.  As  for  the  door 
itself,  its  outline  was  a  fine  seam.  There  was  a 
handle. 

As  the  match  burned  close  to  his  fingers,  Orme 
pulled  out  his  watch.  It  was  twenty-nine  minutes 
past  five. 

Darkness  again. 

Orme  groped  his  way  to  the  door  and  tugged 
at  the  handle.  The  door  would  not  open;  built 
with  air-tight  nicety,  it  did  not  budge  in  the 
least. 

This  was  as  Orme  had  expected.  He  knew  that 
Alcatrante  would  have  shot  the  bolt.  He  knew, 
too,  that  Alcatrante  would  be  waiting  in  the  cor 
ridor,  to  assure  himself  that  the  last  clerk  left  the 
office  without  freeing  the  prisoner — that  all  the 
lights  were  out  and  the  office  locked  for  the  night. 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       257 

Then  he  would  depart,  exulting  that  the  papers 
could  not  be  delivered;  and  in  the  morning  Orme 
would  be  released. 

But  had  Alcatrante  realized  that  the  chamber 
was  air-tight?  Surely  he  had  not  known  that  the 
girl  was  already  there.  The  air  that  might  barely 
suffice  to  keep  one  alive  until  relief  came  would 
not  suffice  for  two. 

There  was  not  the  least  opening  to  admit  of  ven 
tilation.  Even  the  places  where,  in  a  practical  re 
frigerator,  connection  would  be  made  with  the 
ice-chamber,  were  blocked  up ;  for  that  matter, 
they  were  on  that  side  of  the  chamber  which  was 
built  close  into  the  corner  of  the  office. 

Orme  drove  his  heel  against  the  wall.  The  tiles 
did  not  break.  Then  he  stepped  back  toward  the 
middle  of  the  chamber. 

"Where  are  you,  Girl?"  he  asked. 

"  Here,"  she  answered,  very  near  him. 

He  reached  out  and  found  her  hand,  and  she 
did  not  withdraw  it  from  his  clasp. 

"  The  rascal  has  locked  us  in,"  he  said.  "  I'm 
afraid  we  shall  have  a  long  wait." 

"  Will  it  do  any  good  to  shout?  " 

"  No  one  could  hear  us  through  these  walls. 


258       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

No,  there's  nothing  to  do  but  remain  quiet.  But 
you  needn't  stand,  Girl." 

He  led  her  to  the  wall.  Removing  his  coat,  he 
folded  it  and  placed  it  on  the  floor  for  a  cushion, 
and  she  seated  herself  upon  it.  He  remained  stand 
ing  near  by. 

"  The  papers,"  he  said,  "  are  in  that  coat  you 
are  sitting  on." 

He  laughed,  with  a  consciousness  of  the  grim 
and  terrible  humor  of  their  situation — which  he 
hoped  she  had  not  yet  realized.  Here  they  were, 
the  hard-sought  papers  in  their  possession,  yet 
they  were  helpless  even  to  save  their  own  lives. 

"  I  wish  you  would  shout,"  she  said. 

"Very  well,"  he  said,  and  going  over  to  the 
door,  he  called  out  several  times  with  the  full 
power  of  his  lungs.  The  sound,  pent  in  that  nar 
row  room,  fairly  crashed  in  their  ears,  but  there 
was  no  answer  from  without. 

"  Don't  do  it  again,"  she  said  at  last.  Then 
she  sighed.  "  Oh,  the  irony  of  it !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  I  know."  He  laughed.  "  But  don't  give  up, 
Girl.  We'll  deliver  those  papers  yet." 

"  I  will  not  give  up,"  she  said,  gravely.  "  But 
tell  me,  how  did  you  get  the  papers?  " 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       259 

Orme  began  the  story  of  the  afternoon's  adven 
tures. 

"  Why  don't  you  sit  down?  "  she  asked. 

"  Why  "—  he  stammered—"  I " 

He  had  been  so  conscious  of  his  feeling  toward 
her,  so  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  one  woman 
in  all  the  world  was  locked  in  here  alone  with 
him,  that  since  he  arranged  her  seat  he  had  not 
trusted  himself  to  be  near  her.  And  she  did  not 
seem  to  understand. 

She  wished  him  to  sit  beside  her,  not  knowing 
that  he  felt  the  almost  overpowering  impulse  to 
take  her  in  his  arms  and  crush  her  close  to  him. 
That  desire  would  have  been  more  easily  con 
trolled,  had  he  not  begun  to  believe  that  she  in 
some  degree  returned  his  feeling  for  her.  If  they 
escaped  from  this  black  prison,  he  would  rest 
happy  in  the  faith  that  her  affection  for  him,  now, 
as  he  supposed  so  largely  friendly,  would  ripen 
into  a  glorious  and  compelling  love.  But  it  would 
not  be  right  for  him  to  presume — to  take  advan 
tage  of  a  moment  in  which  she  might  think  that 
she  cared  for  him  more  than  she  actually  did. 
Then,  too,  he  already  foresaw  vaguely  the  pos 
sible  necessity  for  an  act  which  would  make  it 


260       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

best  that  she  should  not  hold  him  too  dear.  So 
long  he  stood  silent  that  she  spoke  again. 

"  Do  sit  down,"  she  said.  "  I  will  give  you 
part  of  your  coat." 

There  was  a  tremulous  note  in  her  laugh,  but 
as  he  seated  himself,  she  spoke  with  great  serious 
ness.  "  When  two  persons  understand  each  other 
as  well  as  you  and  I,"  she  said,  "  and  are  as  near 
death  as  you  and  I,  they  need  not  be  embarrassed 
by  conventions." 

"  We  never  have  been  very  conventional  with 
each  other,"  he  replied,  shakily.  Her  shoulder  was 
against  his.  He  could  hear  her  breathing. 

"  Now  tell  me  the  rest  of  the  story." 

"  First  I  must  change  your  notion  that  we  are 
near  death." 

He  could  feel  that  she  was  looking  at  him  in 
the  blackness.  "Don't  you  think  I  know?"  she 
whispered.  "  They  will  not  find  us  until  to-mor 
row.  There  isn't  enough  air  to  last.  I  have 
known  it  from  the  first." 

"  Someone  will  open  the  door,"  he  replied. 
"  We  may  have  to  stay  here  quite  a  while,  but " 

"  No,  my  friend.     There  is  no  likelihood  that 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       261 

it  will  be  opened.  The  clerks  are  leaving  for  the 
night." 

He  was  silent. 

"  So  finish  the  story,"  she  went  on. 

"Finish  the  story!"  That  was  all  that  he 
could  do. 

"  Finish  the  story !  "  His  story  and  hers — 
only  just  begun,  and  now  to  end  there  in  the  dark. 

But  with  a  calmness  as  great  as  her  own,  he 
proceeded  to  tell  all  that  had  happened  to  him 
since  he  boarded  the  electric-car  at  Evanston  and 
saw  Maku  sitting  within.  She  pressed  his  hand 
gently  when  he  described  the  trick  by  which  the 
Japanese  had  brought  the  pursuit  to  an  end.  She 
laughed  when  he  came  to  his  meeting  with  the 
detective  in  his  apartment.  The  episode  with 
Madame  Alia  he  passed  over  lightly,  for  part  of 
it  rankled  now.  Not  that  he  blamed  himself  fool 
ishly  ;  but  he  wished  that  it  had  not  happened. 

"  That  woman  did  a  fine  thing,"  said  the  girl. 

He  went  on  to  describe  his  efforts  to  get  free 
from  Alcatrante. 

"  And  you  were  under  the  table  in  Arima's 
room,"  she  exclaimed,  when  he  had  finished. 


262       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  I  was  there ;  but  I  couldn't  see  you,  Girl. 
And  you  seemed  to  doubt  me." 

"To  doubt  you?" 

"  Don't  you  remember?  You  said  that  no 
American  had  the  papers;  but  you  added,  'un 
less ' " 

"  Unless  Walsh,  the  burglar,  had  played  a  trick 
on  Poritol  and  held  the  true  papers  back.  I  went 
straight  from  Arima's  to  the  jail  and  had  an 
other  talk  with  Walsh.  He  convinced  me  that  he 
knew  nothing  at  all  about  the  papers.  He  seemed 
to  think  that  they  were  letters  which  Poritol 
wanted  for  his  own  purposes." 

"  Then,  you  did  not  doubt  me."  Glad  relief 
was  in  his  voice. 

"  I  have  never  doubted  you,"  she  said,  simply. 

There  was  silence.  Only  their  breathing  and 
the  ticking  of  Orme's  watch  broke  the  stillness. 

"  I  don't  believe  that  Alcatrante  knew  that  this 
place  was  unventilated,"  she  remarked  at  last. 

"  No ;  and  he  didn't  know  that  you  were  here." 

"  He  thinks  that  you  will  be  released  in  the 
morning,  and  that  you  will  think  it  wiser  to 
make  no  charges.  What  do  you  suppose  his 
conscience  will  say  when  he  learns " 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       263 

"  Girl,  I  simply  can't  believe  that  there  is  no 
hope  for  us." 

"What  possible  chance  is  there?"  Her  voice 
was  steady.  "  The  clerks  must  all  have  gone  by 
this  time.  We  can't  make  ourselves  heard." 

"  Still,  I  feel  as  though  I  should  be  fighting 
with  the  door." 

"  You  can't  open  it." 

"  But  some  one  of  the  clerks  going  out  may 
have  seen  that  it  was  bolted.  Wouldn't  he  have 
pushed  the  bolt  back?  I'm  going  to  see." 

He  groped  to  the  door  and  tugged  at  the  handle. 
The  door,  for  all  the  effect  his  effort  had  on  it, 
might  have  been  a  section  of  solid  wall. 

"  Come  back,"  she  called. 

He  felt  his  way  until  his  foot  touched  the  coat. 
As  he  let  himself  down  beside  her,  his  hand 
brushed  over  her  hair,  and  unconsciously  she 
leaned  toward  him.  He  felt  the  pressure  of  her 
shoulder  against  his  side,  and  the  touch  sent  a 
thrill  through  him.  He  leaned  back  against  the 
wall  and  stared  into  the  blackness  with  eyes  that 
saw  only  visions  of  the  happiness  that  might  have 
been. 

"  We  mustn't  make  any  effort  to  break  out," 


264       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

she  said.  "  It  is  useless.  And  every  time  we  move 
about  and  tug  at  the  door,  it  makes  us  breathe 
that  much  faster." 

"  Yes,"  he  sighed,  "  I  suppose  we  can  only  sit 
here  and  wait." 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said  softly,  "  I  am  won 
dering  why  our  situation  does  not  seem  more  ter 
rible  to  me.  It  should,  shouldn't  it  ?  " 

"  I  hardly  think  so,"  he  replied. 

"  The  relative  importance  of  our  worldly  af 
fairs,"  she  went  on  dreamily,  "  appears  to  change 
when  one  sees  that  they  are  all  to  stop  at  once. 
They  recede  into  the  background  of  the  mind. 
What  counts  then  is,  oh,  I  don't  want  to  think  of 

it!  My  father — he "  Her  shoulders  shook 

for  a  moment  under  the  stress  of  sudden  grief, 
but  she  quickly  regained  her  control.  "  There, 
now,"  she  whispered,  "  I  won't  do  that." 

For  a  time  they  sat  in  silence.  His  own  whirl 
ing  thoughts  were  of  a  sort  that  he  could  not 
fathom;  they  possessed  him  -completely,  they  de 
stroyed,  seemingly,  all  power  of  analysis,  they 
made  him  dumb ;  and  they  were  tangled  inextri 
cably  in  the  blended  impressions  of  possession  and 
loss. 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       265 

"  But  you,"  she  said  at  last,  "  is  your  father 
living?  " 

"  No,"  he  replied. 

"  And  your  mother  ?  "   she  faltered. 

"  She  has  been  dead  many  years.  And  I  have 
no  brothers  or  sisters." 

"  My  mother  died  when  I  was  a  little  child," 
she  mused.  "  Death  seemed  to  me  much  more  aw 
ful  then  than  it  does  now." 

"  It  is  always  more  awful  to  those  who  are 
left  than  to  those  who  go,"  he  said.  "  But  don't 
think  of  that  yet." 

"  We  must  think  of  it,"  she  insisted. 

He  did  not  answer. 

"You  don't  wish  to  die,  do  you?"  she  de 
manded. 

"  No ;  and  I  don't  wish  you  to  die.  Try  to  take 
a  different  view,  Girl.  We  really  have  a  chance 
of  getting  out." 

"How?" 

"  Someone  may  come." 

"Not  at  all  likely,"  she  sighed. 

"  But  a  chance  is  a  chance,  Girl,  dear." 

"  Oh !  "  she  cried,  suddenly.  "  To  think  that 
I  have  brought  you  to  this !  That  what  you 


266       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

thought  would  be  a  little  favor  to  me  has  brought 
you  to  deafh." 

She  began  to  sob  convulsively. 

It  was  as  though  for  the  first  time  she  realized 
her  responsibility  for  his  life;  as  though  her  con 
fidence  in  her  complete  understanding  of  him  had 
disappeared  and  he  was  again  a  stranger  to  her 
— a  stranger  whom  she  had  coolly  led  to  the  edge 
of  life  with  her. 

"  Don't,  Girl — don't !  "  he  commanded. 

Her  self-blame  was  terrible  to  him.  But  she 
could  not  check  her  grief,  and  finally,  hardly  know 
ing  what  he  did,  he  put  his  arm  around  her  and 
drew  her  closer  to  him.  Her  tear-wet  cheek 
touched  his.  She  had  removed  her  hat,  and  her 
hair  brushed  his  forehead. 

"  Girl,  Girl! "  he  whispered,  "  don't  you  know? 
— Don't  you  understand?  If  chance  had  not  kept 
us  together,  I  would  have  followed  you  until  I 
won  you.  From  the  moment  I  saw  you,  I  have 
had  no  thought  that  was  not  bound  up  with  you." 

"  But  think  what  I  have  done  to  you ! "  she 
sobbed.  "  I  never  realized  that  there  was  this 
danger.  And  you — you  have  your  own  friends, 
your  interests.  Oh,  I " 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       267 

"  My  interests  are  all  here — with  you,"  he  an 
swered.  "  It  is  I  who  am  to  blame.  I  should  have 
known  what  Alcatrante  would  do." 

"  You  couldn't  know.    There  was  no  way " 

"  I  sent  you  up  here  to  wait  for  me.  Then, 
when  he  and  I  came  in,  I  turned  my  back  on  him, 
like  a  blind  fool." 

"  No,  no,"  she  protested. 

"  After  all,"  he  said,  "  it  was,  perhaps,  some 
thing  that  neither  you  nor  I  could  foresee.  No 
one  is  to  blame.  Isn't  that  the  best  view  to  take 
of  it?  " 

Her  cheek  moved  against  his  as  she  inclined  her 
head. 

"  It  may  be  selfish  in  me,"  he  went  on,  "  but  I 
can't  feel  unhappy — now." 

Her  sobs  had  ceased,  and  she  buried  her  face 
in  his  shoulder. 

"  I  love  you,  Girl,"  he  said,  brokenly.  "  I 
don't  expect  you  to  care  so  much  for  me — yet. 
But  I  must  tell  you  what  I  feel.  There  isn't — 
there  isn't  anything  I  wouldn't  do  for  you,  Girl — 
and  be  happy  doing  it." 

She  did  not  speak,  and  for  a  long  time  they 
sat  in  silence.  Many  emotions  were  racing 


268      THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

through  him.  His  happiness  was  almost  a  pain, 
for  it  came  to  him  in  this  extremity  when  there 
was  no  hope  ahead.  She  had  not  yielded  herself, 
but  she  had  not  resisted  his  embrace;  even  now 
her  head  was  on  his  shoulder.  Indeed,  he  had 
given  her  no  chance  to  confess  what  she  might 
feel  for  him. 

Nor  would  he  give  her  that  chance.  No,  it 
was  better  that  her  love  for  him — he  knew  now 
that  in  her  heart  she  must  love  him — it  was  better 
that  it  should  not  be  crystallized  by  definite  ex 
pression.  For  he  had  thought  of  a  way  by  which 
she,  at  least,  might  be  saved.  With  the  faint 
possibility  of  rescue  for  them  both,  he  hesitated  to 
take  the  step.  And  yet  every  moment  he  was  using 
that  much  more  of  the  air  that  might  keep  her 
alive  through  the  night. 

It  would  be  only  right  to  wait  until  he  was 
reasonably  sure  that  all  the  clerks  in  the  office 
had  gone.  That  time  could  not  be  long  now. 
But  already  the  air  was  beginning  to  seem  close ; 
it  was  not  so  easy  to  breathe  as  it  had  been. 

Gently  putting  her  from  him,  he  said :  "  The  air 
will  last  longer  if  we  lie  down.  The  heart  does 
not  need  so  much  blood,  then." 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       269 

She  did  not  answer,  but  moved  from  her  seat  on 
his  folded  coat,  and  he  took  it  and  arranged  it  as 
a  pillow  and,  finding  her  hand,  showed  her  where 
it  was.  He  heard  the  rustle  of  her  clothing  as 
she  adjusted  herself  on  the  floor.  She  clung  to 
his  hand,  while  he  still  sat  beside  her. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  cheerfully,  "  I  am  going  to 
find  out  what  time  it  is,  by  breaking  the  crystal 
of  my  watch.  I've  seen  blind  men  tell  the  time 
by  feeling  the  dial." 

His  watch  was  an  old  hunting-case  which  had 
belonged  to  his  father.  He  opened  it  and  cracked 
the  crystal  with  his  pocket-knife.  As  nearly  as 
he  could  determine  by  the  sense  of  touch,  it  was 
seven  o'clock.  Bessie  Wallingham  would  be  won 
dering  by  this  time  why  he  had  broken  an  engage 
ment  with  her  for  the  second  time  that  day. 

"  There  is  one  thing  more  to  do,"  he  said. 
"  It  is  seven  o'clock ;  I  don't  know  how  much  longer 
we  shall  be  able  to  breathe  easily,  and  I  am  going 
to  write  a  note  which  will  explain  matters  to  the 
persons  who  find  us — if  we  should  not  happen  to 
be  able  to  tell  them." 

Laboriously  he  penciled  on  the  back  of  an  old 
envelope  the  explanation  of  their  presence  there, 


270       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

making  a  complete  and  careful  charge  against 
Alcatrante.  He  laid  the  message  on  the  floor. 

On  second  thought,  he  picked  it  up  again  and 
put  it  in  his  pocket,  for  if  by  any  chance  they 
should  be  res-cued,  he  might  forget  it.  In  that 
event  its  discovery  would  possibly  bring  an  ex 
posure  of  facts  which  the  girl  and  her  father 
would  not  care  to  have  disclosed. 

A  faint  whisper  from  the  girl. 

"  What  is  it?  "  he  asked,  bending  tenderly  for 
her  answer. 

"  You  must  lie  down,  too." 

He  began  to  move  away,  as  if  to  obey  her. 

"  No,"  she  whispered — "  here.  I  want  you  near 
me." 

Slowly  he  reclined  and  laid  his  head  on  the  coat. 
Her  warm  breath  was  on  his  face.  He  felt  for  her 
hand,  and  found  it,  and  it  held  tightly  to  his. 

His  own  mind  was  still  torn  with  doubts  as  to 
the  best  course.  Should  he  put  himself  out  of  the 
way  that  she  might  live?  The  sacrifice  might 
prove  unnecessary.  Rescue  might  come  when  it 
was  too  late  for  him,  yet  not  too  late,  if  he  did  not 
hurry  his  own  end.  And  if  she  truly  loved  him 
and  knew  that  she  loved  him,  such  an  act  on  his 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       271 

part  would  leave  her  a  terrible  grief  which  time 
would  hardly  cure. 

He  tried  to  analyze  their  situation  more  clearly, 
to  throw  new  light  on  his  duty.  The  clerks  must 
all  have  gone  by  now.  There  would  be  a  visit  or 
two  from  a  night  watchman,  perhaps,  but  there 
was  scarcely  one  chance  in  a  hundred  that  he 
would  unbolt  the  door. 

The  air  was  vitiating  rapidly;  they  could  not 
both  live  through  the  night.  But — if  she  loved 
him  as  he  loved  her,  she  would  be  happier  to  die 
with  him  than  to  live  at  the  cost  of  his  life. 

He  pictured  for  himself  again  that  last  look 
of  her  face:  its  beauty,  its  strength,  its  sweet 
sympathy.  He  seemed  to  see  the  stray  wisp  of 
hair  that  had  found  its  way  down  upon  her  cheek. 
Her  perfect  lips — how  well  he  remembered! — 
were  the  unopened  buds  of  pure  womanly  pas 
sion. 

After  all,  whether  she  loved  him  or  not,  there 
would  still  be  much  in  life  for  her. 

Time  would  cure  her  sorrow.  There  would  be 
many  claims  upon  her,  and  she  would  sooner  or 
later  resume  her  normal  activities. 

Slowly  he  disengaged  his  hand  from  her  cling- 


THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

ing  fingers.  In  his  other  hand  he  still  held  his 
pocket-knife.  To  open  a  vein  in  his  wrist  would 
take  but  a  moment.  His  life  would  well  away, 
there  on  the  tiles. 

She  would  think  he  was  asleep;  and  then  she 
herself  would  drift  away  into  unconsciousness 
which  would  be  broken  only  after  the  door  was 
opened  in  the  morning. 

Bah!  His  mind  cleared  in  a  flash.  What  a 
fool  he  was!  Need  he  doubt  her  for  an  instant? 
Need  he  question  what  she  would  do  when  she 
found  that  he  was  dead?  And  she  would  know  it 
quickly.  This  living  pulsing  girl  beside  him  loved 
him!  She  had  told  him  in  every  way  except  in 
words.  In  life  and  in  death  they  belonged  to  each 
other. 

They  were  one  forever.  They  still  lived,  and 
while  they  lived  they  must  hope.  And  if  hope 
failed,  there  still  would  be  love. 

His  pent-up  emotions  broke  restraint.  With  un 
thinking  swiftness,  he  threw  his  arm  over  her  and 
drew  her  tight  to  him.  His  lips  found  hers  in  a 
long  kiss — clung  in  ecstasy  for  another,  and 
another. 

Her   arms   went   about  his  neck.     He  felt   as 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       273 

though  her  soul  had  passed  from  her  lips  to  his 
own. 

"  My  lover !  "  she  whispered.  "  I  think  I  have 
always  cared." 

"  O,  Girl,  Girl !  "    He  could  utter  no  more. 

With  a  faint  sigh  she  said :  "  I  am  glad  it  is  to 
be  together."  She  sat  up,  still  holding  his  hand. 
"  If  it  need  be  at  all,"  she  added,  a  new  firmness 
in  her  voice. 

"  If  it  need  be  at  all ! "  Orme  searched  his 
mind  again  for  some  promise  of  escape  from  this 
prison  which  had  been  so  suddenly  glorified  for 
them.  The  smooth,  unbreakable  walls ;  the  thin 
seam  of  the  door;  the  thermometer.  Why  had  he 
not  thought  of  it  before?  The  thermometer ! 

With  an  exclamation,  he  leaped  to  his  feet. 

"What  is  it?"  she  cried. 

"  A  chance !  A  small  chance — but  still  a 
chance ! " 

He  found  his  way  to  the  handle  of  the  door, 
which  his  first  attempt  at  escape  had  taught  him 
was  not  connected  with  the  outer  knob.  Then 
he  located  the  covering  which  protected  the  coils 
of  the  thermometer. 

Striking  with  his  heel,  he  tried  to  break  the 


274       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

metal  grating.  It  would  not  yield.  Again  and 
again  he  threw  his  weight  into  the  blows,  but 
without  effect. 

At  last  he  remembered  his  pocket-knife.  Thrust 
ing  one  end  of  it  through  the  grating,  he  prodded 
at  the  glass  coils  within.  There  was  a  tinkling 
sound.  He  had  succeeded. 

He  groped  his  way  back  to  the  girl  and  seated 
himself  beside  her.  With  the  confession  of  their 
love,  a  new  hope  had  sprung  up  in  them.  They 
might  still  be  freed,  and,  though. the  air  was  be 
coming  stifling,  neither  of  them  believed  that  a 
joy  as  great  as  theirs  could  be  born  to  live  but  a 
few  hours. 

For  the  hundredth  time  he  was  saying:  "  I 
can't  believe  that  we  have  known  each  other  only 
one  day." 

"  And  even  now,"  she  mused,.  "  you  don't  know 
my  name.  Do  you  want  me  to  tell  you?  " 

"  Not  until  you  are  ready." 

"  Then  wait.  It  will  all  come  in  due  form. 
Someone  will  say,  '  Mr.  Orme,  Miss  .' ' 

"  The  name  doesn't  matter,"  said  Orme.  "  To 
me  you  will  always  be  just — Girl." 

The  joyous  moments  rushed  by.     She  had  crept 


PRISONERS  IN  THE  DARK  275 
close  to  him  again,  and  with  her  head  on  his  shoul 
der,  was  saying :  "  There  is  so  much  for  us  to 
tell  each  other." 

"  There  seems  to  be  only  one  thing  to  say  now." 
He  kissed  her  tenderly. 

"  Oh,  but  there  is  much  more." 

"  Where  shall  we  begin?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  Well,  to  be  matter-of-fact,  do  you  live  in 
Chicago?" 

"  No,  dear.     I  live  in  New  York." 

"  1^  didn't  even  know  that,"  she  whispered. 
"  And  about  me.  Our  family  home  has  been  in 
one  of  the  suburbs  here  since  I  was  a  small  girl. 
For  several  years  I  was  sent  East  to  school,  and 
after  that  I  went  abroad  with  some  friends.  And 
since  then " 

"  It  can't  be  so  very  long,"  he  whispered, 
"  though  you  speak  as  though  it  were  decades." 

"  It  is  six  years.  Since  then  my  father  and  I 
have  spent  our  winters  in  the  East,  coming  back 
home  for  the  summers.  Just  think  how  much  you 
are  learning  about  me !  " 

Orme  lifted  her  hand  to  his  lips. 

Suddenly  the  room  filled  with  a  light  which  to 
their  expanded  pupils  seemed  bright  as  the  sun. 


276       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

The  door  had  been  opened  and  an  electric  light  in 
the  reception-hall  shone  in.  Framed  in  the  door 
way  was  the  outline  of  a  man. 

Orme  shouted  joyfully  and  jumped  to  his  feet. 

"  Why — what ?  "  the  man  began. 

Orme  helped  the  girl  up,  and  together  they 
went  to  the  outer  light.  For  a  moment  they  could 
do  nothing  but  breathe,  so  good  the  fresh  air  of 
the  reception-room  seemed  to  them.  Then,  look 
ing  at  the  man  again,  Orme  saw  that  it  was  the 
clerk  to  whom  Alcatrante  had  made  his  accusation 
two  hours  before. 

"  How  did  you  come  to  be  in  there?  "  the  clerk 
demanded. 

Orme  hesitated;  then  he  decided  to  make  no 
charges.  "  I  got  rid  of  that  crazy  fellow  who 
was  following  me  around,"  he  said,  "  and  I  came 
back,  and  this  young  lady  and  I  went  in  to  ex 
amine  your  refrigerator.  The  door  was  ajar, 
and  someone  pushed  it  shut  and  locked  it.  We 
should  have  smothered  if  you  had  not  come." 

"  It  was  the  merest  chance,"  said  the  clerk. 
"  My  work  kept  me  late.  As  I  was  leaving,  I 
happened  to  glance  at  the  thermometer  dial  here. 
It  registered  below  freezing.  I  couldn't  under- 


PRISONERS    IN    THE    DARK       277 

stand  that,  for  there  is  no  ice  in  the  refrigerator, 
so  I  opened  the  door  to  see." 

"  I  broke  the  coil,"  explained  Orme,  "  in  the 
hope  that  the  night  watchman  might  be  interested 
in  the  dial." 

"  Well,"  said  the  clerk,  drawing  a  long  breath, 
"you  had  a  close  shave.  There  isn't  any  night 
watchman — at  least  not  in  this  office.  If  I  had 
balanced  my  books  on  time  to-day,  you  two  would 
have  stayed  where  you  were  until  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  will  come  in  to-morrow  to  see  Mr.  Walling- 
ham  and  explain  everything.  I  will  pay  for  a 
new  thermometer,  too,  if  he  will  let  me." 

"  I  don't  think  he  will  let  you  do  that,"  said 
the  clerk.  "  He  will  be  grateful  that  nothing 
worse  happened." 

"  Yes,  I  believe  he  will,"  replied  Orme. 

He  glanced  at  the  clock.  It  was  a  quarter 
after  seven.  Going  back  into  the  chamber  which 
had  been  the  scene  of  both  their  danger  and  their 
happiness,  he  got  his  coat  and  the  girl's  hat. 
The  parchment  papers  crackled  in  his  pocket  as 
he  put  the  coat  on.  The  girl,  meantime,  adjusted 
her  hat. 


278      THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

"  Say,"  said  the  clerk,  holding  the  outer  door 
open  for  them  to  pass  through,  "  was  that  fel 
low's  story  about  your  holding  notes  of  ours — 
was  there  anything  in  it  ?  " 

"  Absolutely  untrue,"  replied  Orme. 

"  He  must  have  had  you  confused  with  some 
body  else." 

"  He  must  have."  Orme  held  out  his  hand. 
*'  Many  thanks  to  you  for  saving  our  lives." 

Then  Orme  and  the  girl  made  their  way  to  the 
elevator. 


CHAPTER  XV 

FROM   THE  DEVIL   TO    THE   DEEP    SEA 

"How  shall  we  go?"  asked  Orme,  as  they  de 
scended  to  the  street  level. 

"  By  train.  There  is  no  other  convenient  way, 
since  my  car  is  at  home."  She  looked  at  him 
doubtfully,  and  added,  "  but  they  will  be  watch 
ing  the  railroad  stations." 

He  nodded.  "  A  motor  would  be  safer — if  we 
can  get  one."  He  gave  her  hand  a  secret  pres 
sure  while  the  elevator-boy  was  opening  the  door 
for  them,  and  as  she  passed  before  him  she  flashed 
upon  him  a  look  so  filled  with  love  and  trust  that 
the  sudden  thrill  of  his  happiness  almost  stifled 
him. 

At  the  La  Salle  Street  entrance  Orme  had  a 
fleeting  glimpse  of  the  watching  Alcatrante.  The 
South  American,  after  one  astonished  stare,  darted 
away  in  the  dusk.  He  would  follow  thern,  of  course, 
but  Orme  decided  to  say  nothing  about  him  to 
the  girl. 

"  I  must  telephone,"   she  said  suddenly,   stop- 
279 


280       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

ping  as  if  to  turn  back  into  the  building.  "  Father 
will  be  very  anxious." 

"  The  booths  in  the  building  must  be  closed," 
he  said.  "  We'd  better  try  a  drug  store." 

Accordingly  they  made  their  way  to  the  nearest, 
and  the  girl  went  to  the  booth.  The  door  was 
shut  for  a  long  time. 

While  he  was  waiting,  Orme  glanced  through 
the  brilliant  window.  In  the  light  of  an  electric 
lamp  across  the  street  he  discerned  faintly  a  mo 
tionless  figure ;  without  hesitation  he  crossed  the 
pavement,  recognizing  Alcatrante  more  clearly  as 
he  left  the  dazzle  of  the  store. 

The  minister  did  not  budge.  His  face,  as 
Orme  approached,  was  cold  and  expressionless. 

"  Senhor,"  exclaimed  Orme,  "  does  your  trade 
include  murder?  " 

"Not  at  all.     Why  do  you  ask,  Mr.  Orme?" 

"  Because  only  a  lucky  intervention  has  saved 
you  from  the  murder  of  a  young  lady  and  my 
self." 

"  You  are  exaggerating,  my  dear  sir."  Alca 
trante  laughed. 

"  Is  it  your  custom  to  lock  people  into  air-tight 
chambers  ?  " 


FROM    DEVIL    TO    DEEP    SEA      281 

"  Air-tight  ?  "     Alcatrante  was  clearly  discon 
certed.     "  I  did  not  suppose  that  it  was  air-tight. 
Also,  I  did  not  dream  that  the  young  lady  was 
there.      But  this   game  is   a   serious   game,   Mr. 
Orme.     You  do  not  appear  to  understand.     When 
one   is   working   for   his   country,   many   strange 
things  are  justified." 
"  Even  murder?  " 
"  Even  murder — sometimes." 
Orme  had  an  inspiration.     "  Thank  you  for  the 
truth,  Senhor,"  he  said.     "  I,  too,  am  working  for 
my  country.     If  you  continue  to  follow  us,  I  shall 
assume  that  you  have  murder  in  your  mind,  and  I 
shall  act  accordingly." 
Alcatrante  smiled  coolly. 
"  This  is  fair  warning,"  continued  Orme. 
He  glanced  to  the  drug  store  and  saw  the  girl 
coming  out  of  the  telephone-booth.      Hastening 
across  the  street,  he  met  her  at  the  door. 

"  If  father  had  had  any  idea  of  such  complica 
tions  when  we  came  West,"  she  said,  "  there  would 
have  been  plenty  of  men  near  by  to  help  us.  As  it 
is,  we  shall  have  to  act  alone.  It  is  not  a  matter 
for  detectives — or  for  the  police.  I — I  almost 
wish  it  were,"  she  faltered. 


282       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Orme  wondered  again  whether  this  father  could 
have  realized  what  dangers  the  girl  was  encoun 
tering.  But,  as  if  divining  his  sudden  anger 
against  the  man  who  could  let  his  daughter  run 
such  risks,  she  added:  "  He  doesn't  know,  of  course, 
the  details  of  our  adventures.  I  have  permitted 
him  to  think  that  it  is  simply  a  matter  of  search 
ing." 

"  And  now  he  is  reassured." 

"  Yes.  Oh,  you  have  no  idea  yet  how  important 
it  is." 

"  You  were  a  long  time  in  the  booth,"  he  said. 

A  mysterious  smile  flittered  across  her  face.  "  I 
thought  of  another  person  I  wished  to  talk  to. 
That  person  was  hard  to  get." 

"Long  distance?" 

"  It  proved  necessary  to  use  long  distance." 

Then  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  figure  across 
the  street.  "  There's  Mr.  Alcatrante,"  she  ex 
claimed. 

"  Yes,  I  have  just  had  a  talk  with  him." 

Her  face  showed  concern. 

"  Don't  let  him  worry  you,  dear,"  he  added. 
"  He  will  try  to  balk  us.  We  must  expect  that. 
But  I  think  I  can  take  care  of  him." 


FROM    DEVIL    TO    DEEP    SEA      283 

"  I  believe  it,"  she  said,  softly. 

He  wondered  whether  she  could  guess  how  re 
lentlessly  he  was  planning  to  deal  with  Alca- 
trante.  Would  she  justify  the  course  he  had  in 
mind?  As  to  her  attitude,  he  felt  doubtful.  Per 
haps  she  did  not  agree  with  the  South  American 
that  murder  was  sometimes  necessary  in  the  serv 
ice  of  one's  country. 

Moreover,  while  Alcatrante  was  undoubtedly 
serving  the  interest  of  his  country,  Orme  had  no 
real  certainty  that  he  himself  was  in  a  similar 
position.  He  had  every  reason  to  infer  that  the 
papers  were  of  importance  to  the  United  States 
Government,  but  after  all  he  could  only  go  by 
inference.  The  affairs  of  some  private  corpora 
tion  in  the  United  States  might  have  a  serious  bear 
ing  on  problems  in  South  America  and  the  Far 
East.  He  decided  to  sound  the  girl  for  informa 
tion  that  would  be  more  definite. 

But  first  the  question  as  to  their  next  move 
must  be  answered. 

"  Do  you  know  where  we  can  get  a  motor  ?  "  he 
said. 

"  No  " — she  prolonged  the  word  doubtfully. 
"  We  may  have  to  take  a  motor-cab." 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  It  would  be  safer  than  the  railroad  or  the 
electric  line."  Then  he  asked  with  great  serious 
ness  :  "  Girl,  dear,  I  don't  know  much  about  the 
meaning  and  value  of  these  papers  in  my  pocket, 
and  I  don't  care  to  know  any  more  than  you 
choose  to  tell  me.  But  let  me  know  just  this  much : 
Are  they  as  important  to  you  as  they  are  to  our 
enemies?  Have  you  really  been  justified  in  the 
risks  you  have  run  ?  " 

"  You  have  seen  how  far  Alcatrante  and  the 
Japanese  have  been  willing  to  go,"  she  replied, 
gravely.  "  I  am  sure  that  they  would  not  hesitate 
to  kill  us,  if  it  seemed  necessary  to  them  in  their 
effort  to  get  possession  of  the  papers.  Now,  my 
dear,  they  are  even  much  more  important  to  my 
father." 

"In  his  business  interests?" 

"  Much  more  than  that." 

They  were  walking  along  the  glimmering  canon 
of  La  Salle  Street,  which  was  now  almost  deserted 
in  the  dusk.  A  motor-car  swept  slowly  around 
the  corner  ahead  and  came  toward  them.  It  had 
but  one  occupant,  a  chauffeur,  apparently.  He 
wore  a  dust-coat,  a  cap,  and  goggles  which  seemed 
to  be  too  large  for  him. 


FROM    DEVIL    TO    DEEP    SEA     285 

Regardless  of  Alcatrante,  who  was  following 
them,  Orme  hailed  the  chauffeur.  "  Will  you  take 
a  fare  ?  "  he  called. 

The  man  stopped  his  car  and  after  a  moment 
of  what  Orme  interpreted  as  indecision,  nodded 
slowly. 

"How  much  by  the  hour?"  asked  Orme. 

The  chauffeur  held  up  the  ten  fingers  of  his  two 
hands. 

Orme  looked  at  the  girl.  He  hadn't  that  much 
money  with  him. 

"  If  I  only  had  time  to  cash  a  check,"  he  said. 

"  All  right,"  she  whispered.     "  I  have  plenty." 

They  got  into  the  tonneau,  and  the  girl,  lean 
ing  forward,  said :  "  Take  the  Lake  Shore  Drive 
and  Sheridan  Road  to  Evanston." 

Again  the  chauffeur  nodded,  without  turning 
toward  them. 

"  He  doesn't  waste  many  words,"  whispered  the 
girl  to  Orme. 

While  the  car  was  turning  Orme  noted  that  Al 
catrante  had  stopped  short  and  was  watching 
them.  It  was  some  reason  for  surprise  that  he  was 
not  hunting  for  a  motor  in  which  to  follow. 

Perhaps  his   plans  were  so  completely  balked 


286       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

that  he  was  giving  up  altogether.  No,  that  would 
not  be  like  Alcatrante.  Orme  now  realized  that 
in  all  likelihood  the  minister  had  foreseen  some  such 
circumstance  and  had  made  plans  accordingly. 

He  was  more  and  more  inclined  to  believe  that 
Alcatrante  had  but  half  expected  to  keep  him  long 
imprisoned  in  Wallingham's  office.  Then  what 
had  been  the  purpose  underlying  the  trick?  Prob 
ably  the  intention  was  to  make  Orme  prisoner 
for  as  long  a  period  as  possible  and,  in  any  event, 
to  gain  time  enough  to  communicate  with  Poritol 
and  the  Japanese  and  whatever  other  persons 
might  be  helping  in  the  struggle  to  regain  the 
papers.  The  probabilities  were  that  Alcatrante 
had  been  using  the  last  two  hours  to  get  in  touch 
with  his  friends. 

And  now  those  friends  would  be  informed 
promptly  that  Orme  and  the  girl  were  setting  out 
by  motor.  This  analysis  apparently  accounted  for 
Alcatrante's  nonchalance.  Orme  and  the  girl 
seemed  to  be  escaping,  but  in  truth,  if  they  ap 
proached  their  destination  at  all,  they  must  run 
into  the  ambuscade  of  other  enemies.  Then  the 
nearer  the  goal,  the  greater  the  danger. 

As  the  motor  slid  smoothly  northward  on  La 


FROM    DEVIL    TO    DEEP    SEA      287 

Salle  Street,  Orme  looked  back.  Alcatrante  had 
made  no  move.  The  last  glimpse  that  Orme  had 
of  him  showed  that  slight  but  sinister  figure  alone 
on  the  sidewalk  of  the  deserted  business  street. 

They  crossed  the  Clark  Street  bridge.  "  Keep 
on  out  North  Clark  Street  until  you  can  cross 
over  to  Lincoln  Park,"  said  Orme  to  the  chauf 
feur. 

The  only  indication  that  the  order  had  been 
heard  was  a  bending  forward  of  the  bowed  figure 
on  the  front  seat. 

Orme  explained  to  the  girl.  "  It  will  be  better 
not  to  take  the  Lake  Shore  Drive.  They  may 
be  watching  the  Pere  Marquette." 

"  You  are  right,"  she  said.  "  As  a  precaution, 
we'd  better  not  pass  the  hotel." 

"  How  surprised  I  was  to  find  you  waiting  for 
me  there  last  evening,"  mused  Orme — "  and  how 
glad!" 

"  I  never  called  on  a  man  before,"  she  laughed. 

"  I  had  made  up  my  mind  only  a  little  while  be 
fore,"  he  continued,  "  to  stay  in  Chicago  till  I 
found  you." 

"  I'm  afraid  that  would  not  have  been  easy." 
She  returned  the  pressure  of  his  hand,  which  had 


288       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 
found  hers.     "  If  it  hadn't  been  for  those  papers, 
we  might  never  have  met." 

"  We  were  bound  to  meet — you  and  I,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  been  waiting  all  my  life  just  for  you." 

"  But  even  now  you  don't  know  who  I  am.  I 
may  be  a — a  political  adventuress — or  a  woman 
detective — or " 

"  You  may  be,"  he  said,  "  but  you  are  the 
woman  I  love.  Your  name — your  business,  if  you 
have  one — those  things  don't  matter.  I  know 
you,  and  I  love  you." 

She  leaned  closer  to  him.  "  Dear,"  she  whis 
pered  impulsively,  "  I  am  going  to  tell  you  every 
thing — who  I  am,  and  about  the  papers " 

"  Wait !  "  He  held  his  hand  before  her  mouth. 
"  Don't  tell  me  now.  Do  as  you  planned  to  do. 
Be  simply  '  Girl '  to  me  for  a  while  longer." 

She  moved  closer  to  him.  Their  errand,  the 
danger,  were  for  the  time  forgotten,  and  the  motor 
hummed  along  with  a  burden  of  happiness. 

"  You  haven't  looked  at  the  papers  yet,"  said 
Orme,  after  a  time.  They  were  turning  east  to 
ward  Lincoln  Park. 

"Do  I  need  to?" 

"  Perhaps  not.     I  took  them  from  the  envelope 


FROM  DEVIL  TO  DEEP  SEA   289 

which  you  saw  at  Arima's.  But  here  they  are. 
I  did  not  look  at  them,  of  course." 

He  drew  the  parchments  from  within  his  coat 
and  placed  them  in  her  hand. 

While  she  examined  them,  he  looked  straight 
ahead,  that  he  might  not  see.  He  could  hear  them 
crackle  as  she  unfolded  them— could  hear  her  sigh 
of  content. 

And  then  something  occurred  that  disquieted 
him  to  a  degree  which  seemed  unwarranted.  The 
chauffeur  suddenly  turned  around  and  glanced 
swiftly  through  his  goggles  at  the  girl  and  the 
papers.  The  action  was,  perhaps,  natural;  but 
there  was  an  assured  expectancy  in  the  way  he 
turned — Orme  did  not  like  it.  Moreover,  there  was 
something  alarmingly  familiar  in  the  manner  of 
the  movement. 

Somewhere  Orme  had  seen  a  man  move  his  body 
like  that.  But  before  his  suspicions  could  take 
form,  the  chauffeur  had  turned  again. 

The  girl  handed  the  papers  back  to  Orme. 
"  These  are  the  right  papers,"  she  said.  "  Oh,  my 
dear,  if  you  only  knew  how  much  they  mean." 

He  held  them  for  a  moment  in  his  hand.  Then, 
after  returning  them  to  his  pocket  with  as  little 


290       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

noise  as  possible,  he  caught  the  girl's  eye  and, 
with  a  significant  glance  toward  the  chauffeur, 
said  in  a  distinct  voice: 

"  I  will  slip  them  under  the  seat  cushion.  They 
will  be  safer  there." 

Did  the  chauffeur  lean  farther  back,  as  if  to 
hear  better?  or  was  the  slight  movement  a  false 
record  by  Orme's  imagination? 

Orme  decided  to  be  on  the  safe  side,  so  he  slipped 
under  the  cushion  of  the  extra  seat  another  mining 
prospectus  which  he  had  in  his  pocket,  placing  it 
in  such  a  way  that  the  end  of  the  paper  protruded. 
Then  he  put  his  lips  close  to  the  girl's  ear  and 
whispered : 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  but  tell  me,  does  our  chauf 
feur  remind  you  of  anyone?  " 

She  studied  the  stolid  back  in  front  of  them. 
The  ill-fitting  dust-coat  masked  the  outline  of  the 
figure ;  the  cap  was  so  low  on  the  head  that  the 
ears  were  covered. 

"  No,"  she  said,  at  last,  "  I  think  not." 

With  that,  Orme  sought  to  reassure  himself. 

They  were  in  Lincoln  Park  now.  Over  this 
same  route  Orme  and  the  girl  had  ridden  less 
than  twenty-four  hours  before.  To  him  the  period 
seemed  like  a  year.  Then  he  had  been  plunging 


FROM  DEVIL  TO  DEEP  SEA  291 
into  mysteries  unknown  with  the  ideal  of  his 
dreams ;  now  he  was  moving  among  secrets  partly 
understood,  with  the  woman  of  his  life — loving 
her  and  knowing  that  she  loved  him. 

One  short  day  had  brought  all  this  to  pass.  He 
had  heard  it  said  that  Love  and  Time  are  enemies. 
The  falseness  of  the  saying  was  clear  to  him  in 
the  light  of  his  own  experience.  Love  and  Time 
are  not  enemies ;  they  are  strangers  to  each 
other. 

On  they  went  northward.  To  Orme  the  streets 
through  which  they  passed  were  now  vaguely 
familiar,  yet  he  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes 
when  they  swung  around  on  to  the  Lake  Front 
at  Evanston,  along  the  broad  ribbon  of  Sheridan 
Road. 

But  there  was  the  dark  mysterious  surface  of 
Lake  Michigan  at  their  right.  Beyond  the  broad 
beach,  he  could  see  the  line  of  breakwaters,  and 
at  their  left  the  electric  street  lights  threw  their 
beams  into  the  blackness  of  little  parks  and  shrubby 
lawns. 

The  car  swept  to  the  left,  past  the  university 
campus. 

"  Do  you  remember?  "  asked  the  girl,  in  a  low 
voice,  pressing  his  arm.  Then,  "  Don't ! "  she 


292       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

whispered.  "  Someone  will  see ! "  for  he  had 
drawn  her  face  to  his. 

They  came  to  the  corner  of  Chicago  Avenue  and 
Sheridan  Road,  where  they  had  halted  the  night 
before  in  their  search  for  the  hidden  papers. 
"  We'd  better  give  him  further  directions,"  said 
the  girl. 

But  the  chauffeur  turned  north  at  the  corner 
and  put  on  more  speed. 

"  He's  taking  the  right  direction,"  she  laughed. 
"  Perhaps  his  idea  is  to  follow  Sheridan  Road  till 
we  tell  him  to  turn." 

"  I  don't  quite  like  it,"  said  Orme,  thoughtfully. 
"  He's  a  bit  too  sure  of  what  he's  doing." 

The  girl  hesitated.  "  It  is  funny,"  she  ex 
claimed.  "And  he's  going  faster,  too."  She  leaned 
forward  and  called  up  to  the  chauffeur :  "  Stop  at 
this  corner." 

He  did  not  seem  to  hear.  She  repeated  the  or 
der  in  a  louder  voice,  but  the  only  answer  was  an 
other  burst  of  speed. 

Then  Orme  reached  up  and  touched  the  chauf 
feur's  shoulder.  "  Stop  the  car ! "  he  cried. 

The  chauffeur  did  not  obey.  He  did  not  even 
turn  his  head. 


FROM    DEVIL    TO    DEEP    SEA      293 

Orme  and  the  girl  looked  at  each  other.  "  I 
don't  understand,"  she  said. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  am  beginning  to,"  Orme  replied. 
"  He  will  not  stop  until  we  are  where  he  wishes  us 
to  be." 

"  We  can't  get  out,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  No.  And  if  I  pull  him  out  of  the  seat,  the 
car  will  be  ditched."  He  puzzled  vainly  to  hit  on 
a  method  of  action,  and  meantime  the  moments 
sped. 

They  passed  the  university  grounds  quickly. 
Orme  retained  an  impression  of  occasional  massive 
buildings  at  the  right,  including  the  dome  of  an 
observatory,  and  at  the  left  the  lighted  windows 
of  dwellings. 

He  saw,  too,  the  tower  of  a  lighthouse,  a  dark 
foundation  supporting  a  changing  light  above; 
and  then  the  road  turned  sharply  to  the  left  and, 
after  a  few  hundred  yards,  curved  again  to  the 
north. 

Suddenly  the  chauffeur  slowed  down.  On  either 
side  were  groves  of  trees.  Ahead  were  the  lights 
of  an  approaching  motor. 

Orme  was  still  at  a  loss,  and  the  girl  was  await 
ing  some  decision  from  him.  When  the  chauffeur 


294       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

at  last  turned  and  spoke — three  short  words — 
Orme  realized  too  late  the  situation  he  and  the  girl 
were  in. 

"  We  stop  now,"  said  the  chauffeur. 

And  the  girl,  with  a  horrified  gasp,  exclaimed: 
"  Maku ! " 

Yes,  it  was  the  Japanese. 

Calmly  he  put  on  the  brakes  and  brought  the 
car  to  a  standstill  by  the  roadside ;  then,  removing 
his  goggles,  turned  to  Orme  and  the  girl  and 
smiled  an  unscrutable  smile.  There  was  an  ugly 
bruise  on  his  forehead,  where  Orme  had  struck  him 
with  the  wrench. 

But  quick  though  Maku  was,  he  was  not  quick 
enough  to  see  a  motion  which  Orme  had  made  im 
mediately  after  the  moment  of  recognition — a  mo 
tion  which  had  even  escaped  the  notice  of  the  girl. 
Perhaps  it  accounted  for  the  coolness  with  which 
Orme  met  his  enemy's  eyes. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE    STRUGGLE 

THE  approaching  car  now  drew  up  near  by,  and 
three  men  jumped  lightly  to  the  road. 

In  the  radiance  of  the  lamps  on  the  two  cars, 
Orme  recognized  Arima.  The  men  with  him  were 
also  Japanese,  though  Orme  was  not  conscious  that 
he  had  ever  seen  them  before. 

It  was  clear  enough  how  he  and  the  girl  had 
blundered  into  the  hands  of  the  Orientals.  Maku 
had  undoubtedly  secured  a  car  and  had  driven  it 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  Rookery  in  response  to  a 
telephoned  order  from  Alcatrante,  transmitted,  in 
all  likelihood,  through  the  Japanese  minister. 

The  appearance  of  the  car  on  La  Salle  Street 
had  been  expected  by  the  South  American.  Per 
haps  he  had  not  anticipated  that  Orme  would  hail 
it ;  the  probability  was  that  he  had  wished  Malm's 
assistance  without  a  definite  idea  of  what  that  as 
sistance  should  be ;  but  the  use  of  the  car  by  Orme 
fell  in  nicely  with  his  plans.  He  had  assumed 
readily  enough  the  direction  the  car  would  take, 
295 


296       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

and  getting  promptly  into  telephonic  communica 
tion  with  Arima,  had  arranged  this  meeting  on 
the  road. 

Orme  now  remembered  that  Arima's  car,  when 
approaching,  had  sounded  its  horn  at  regular  in 
tervals,  in  series  of  threes — evidently  a  signal. 

"  Don't  worry,  Girl,  dear,"  whispered  Orme. 
"  I —  "  he  broke  off  his  sentence  as  the  newcomers 
clustered  about  the  tonneau,  but  the  confident 
glance  of  her  eyes  reassured  him. 

He  knew  not  what  they  were  to  face.  The  Jap 
anese,  he  inferred,  would  not  deal  with  him  pleas 
antly,  but  surely  they  would  not  harm  the  girl. 

Arima  opened  the  door  of  the  tonneau  and  with 
a  lightning  motion  grasped  Orme  by  the  wrist. 

"  Get  out,"  he  ordered. 

Orme  was  in  no  mind  to  obey.  There  were 
four  of  the  Orientals  against  him,  and  he  stood 
little  chance  of  success  in  a  fight  with  them,  but  if 
he  could  only  delay  matters,  someone  might  pass 
and  he  could  raise  an  alarm.  So  he  sat  firm,  and 
said,  calmly: 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"  Get  out,"  repeated  Arima. 

When  Orme  still  made  no  move  to  leave  his  seat, 


THE    STRUGGLE  297 

the  steely  fingers  on  his  wrist  ran  up  his  forearm 
and  pressed  down  hard  upon  a  nerve-center.  The 
pain  was  almost  unbearable,  and  for  the  moment 
his  arm  was  paralyzed.  A  quick  jerk  brought 
him  to  the  ground.  As  he  alighted,  stumblingly, 
Maku  caught  him  by  the  other  arm.  He  was  held 
in  such  a  way  that  for  the  moment  it  seemed  futile 
to  struggle.  Arima,  meantime,  spoke  rapidly  in 
Japanese  to  Maku.  Perhaps  he,  as  commander  of 
the  situation,  was  giving  precise  orders  as  to  what 
was  to  be  done. 

Orme  looked  over  his  shoulder  at  the  girl.  She 
was  clutching  the  door  of  the  tonneau  and  lean 
ing  forward,  staring  with  horrified  eyes. 

"  Keep  cool,"  he  counseled. 

Her  answer  was  a  moan  of  anguish,  and  he 
realized  that  she  feared  for  him. 

Suddenly  she  began  to  call  for  help.  Twice  her 
cries  rung  out,  and  then  one  of  the  Japanese  leaped 
into  the  tonneau  and  placed  his  hand  over  her 
mouth,  smothering  her  voice. 

The  sight  of  this  action  was  too  much  for  Orme. 
He  began  a  furious  effort  to  break  away  from  his 
captors.  One  sudden  motion  freed  his  right  arm 
from  Arima's  clutch,  and  he  reached  for  Maku's 


298       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

throat.  But  after  a  moment  of  scuffling,  he  was 
again  held  securely. 

"Girl!"  he  shouted,  "don't  try  to  call  out. 
Keep  quiet." 

The  Japanese  in  the  tonneau  appeared  to  under 
stand  the  words,  for  he  took  his  hand  away  from 
the  girl's  mouth,  though  he  remained  beside  her, 
ready  to  put  an  end  to  any  fresh  outbreak. 

"  Now,"  said  Orme,  turning  his  eyes  on  Arima, 
"  what  does  this  mean  ?  " 

"  You  give  us  papers,"  replied  the  Japanese 
softly. 

"  I  have  no  papers  that  mean  anything  to  you." 

"  We  see.     Give  them  to  me." 

"  What  papers  do  you  want  ?  "  demanded  Orme. 

"  You  know."  Arima's  voice  sounded  less 
patient. 

"  But  I  have  nothing  that  you  care  anything 
about,"  repeated  Orme. 

At  that  Arima  began  rapidly  to  search  Orme's 
pockets.  There  was  sufficient  light  from  the 
lamps  of  the  two  cars  to  illuminate  the  scene. 

Arima's  left  hand  still  held  Orme's  right  fore 
arm,  and  his  right  hand  was  free  to  hunt  for  the 
papers.  Maku,  on  the  other  side,  had  meantime 


THE    STRUGGLE  299 

strengthened  his  grip  on  Orme's  left  arm,  at  the 
same  time  raising  one  knee  so  that  Orme  could  feel 
it  pressing  against  the  small  of  his  back. 

"  What  this ! "  asked  Arima,  taking  a  long  en 
velope  from  the  inner  pocket  of  Orme's  coat  and 
holding  it  up  for  inspection. 

"  A  blank  contract,"  said  Orme.  "  Do  you 
want  it?" 

Arima  took  the  paper  from  the  envelope  and 
examined  it.  Then  with  an  exclamation  of  disgust 
he  replaced  it  in  Orme's  pocket  and  continued  his 
search. 

"  You  see,"  said  Orme  calmly,  "  there  is  noth 
ing  here." 

The  Japanese,  muttering  in  his  own  tongue,  ran 
his  hands  over  Orme's  body  and  even  looked  into 
his  hat.  Nothing  was  found. 

"  You  might  as  well  believe  me  first  as  last,"  ex 
claimed  Orme.  "  The  papers  you  want  are  not 
here." 

Arima  was  clearly  puzzled.  "  You  had  them," 
he  began. 

"  Possibly.  But  I  haven't  them  now.  How 
would  you  feel  if  I  should  tell  you  that  the  young 
lady  and  I  have  made  this  journey  simply  to  throw 


300       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

you  off  the  scent,  and  that  the  papers  were  being 
delivered  by  another  person?" 

"  I  not  believe,"  declared  Arima  shortly. 

Suddenly  Maku  began  to  jabber  at  Arima,  who, 
after  an  instant  of  consideration,  gave  a  quick 
order  to  the  fourth  Japanese,  who  stood  by.  This 
man  went  to  the  tonneau  and  got  the  prospectuses 
which  Orme  had  placed  under  the  seat  cushion. 

Arima  snatched  the  papers  with  his  free  hand, 
then,  resigning  Orme  entirely  to  Maku's  care,  and 
clucking  strangely,  opened  them. 

A  glance  sufficed.  With  a  cry  of  disappoint 
ment,  he  tore  the  papers  in  two  and  threw  them  to 
the  ground. 

He  thrust  his  face  close  to  Orme's.  "  Where 
the  papers  ?  "  he  said. 

Orme  did  not  reply. 

The  Japanese  who  had  brought  the  prospectuses 
from  the  tonneau  now  stepped  to  Maku's  as 
sistance,  for  Orme  had  made  a  motion  of  the  body 
which  showed  that  he  was  rapidly  losing  his 
patience. 

"Queek!" 

Still  no  answer. 

"  Ha ! "      The    exclamation    had    a     ring    of 


THE    STRUGGLE  301 

triumph.  "  Mees  have  um ! "  He  nodded  toward 
the  car  where  the  girl  still  sat. 

"  No,"  exclaimed  Orme  vehemently.  "  She  has 
not." 

"  Mees  have  um,"  repeated  Arima.  "  We  hunt. 
We  see." 

"  I  tell  you  she  has  not,"  said  Orme. 

"  No  believe  you."  Arima  chuckled.  "  Come, 
mees." 

As  Orme  twisted  himself  around,  he  was  enraged 
to  see  the  Japanese  in  the  car  seize  the  girl  by  the 
arm  and  drag  her  to  the  ground.  Once  on  her 
feet,  she  did  not  resist,  but  permitted  herself  to  be 
led  toward  the  little  group. 

Arima  advanced  a  step  to  meet  her.  "  Give  me 
papers,"  he  said. 

"  I  have  no  papers,"  she  protested  despairingly. 

"  We  search  you,"  said  Arima,  taking  another 
step  toward  her  and  extending  his  hands. 

It  may  be  that  Arima  did  not  intend  actually  to 
lay  hands  on  her.  His  thought  may  have  been 
that  the  threat  would  induce  Orme  to  tell  where 
the  papers  really  were.  But  the  effect  on  Orme 
was  to  set  him  ablaze  with  anger. 

His  swift,  indignant  purpose  seemed  to  multiply 


302       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

his  strength  until  the  little  men  who  held  him  were 
like  children  in  his  hands. 

A  sudden  jerk,  and  he  had  pulled  both  his  arms 
free.  Maku  and  the  man  at  his  other  side  were 
taken  completely  by  surprise,  and  before  they  had 
time  to  recover  themselves,  Orme  had  thrown  his 
arms  around  them  and  crushed  their  heads  together 
with  such  force  that  they  dropped  limp  and  un 
conscious  to  the  ground.  They  were  out  of  the 
fight. 

At  the  first  sounds  of  struggle,  Arima  turned. 
Now,  as  Orme  charged  toward  him,  he  bent  slightly 
forward,  every  muscle  tense,  ready  to  strike  or  trip 
or  twist. 

His  framework  was  overlaid  by  muscles  that 
were  like  supple  steel.  Light  and  quick,  he  had  a 
strength  that  could  hardly  have  been  inferred  from 
his  build.  And  though  Orme's  outbreak  had  been 
sudden,  the  Japanese  was  apparently  not  in  the 
least  disconcerted. 

He  knew  how  to  turn  the  rush  of  the  American 
into  a  disastrous  fall.  He  knew  how  to  prod  with 
his  bony  knuckle  the  angry  man's  solar  plexus — 
how  to  step  swiftly  aside  and  bring  the  horny  edge 
of  his  hand  against  sensitive  vertebrae.  He  could 


THE  STRUGGLE  SOS 

seize  Orme  by  the  arm  and,  dropping  backward  to 
the  ground,  land  Orme  where  he  wished  him.  Yes, 
Arima  had  every  reason  to  feel  confident.  Many 
a  time  had  he  got  the  better  of  American  fist- 
fighters. 

But  a  system  of  offense  and  defense  which  is 
based  upon  the  turning  of  an  opponent's  strength 
against  himself  absolutely  depends  for  its  success 
upon  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  opponent's  inten 
tions.  A  sudden  shift  of  physical  purpose  may 
put  your  jiu-jitsu  adept  at  a  loss. 

Arima,  from  his  knowledge  of  American  fighting 
methods,  had  reason  to  think  that  Orme  would 
continue  his  charge  and  strike  out  with  his  fists 
when  he  came  near  enough.  That,  however,  is 
something  that  Orme  did  not  do.  For,  in  his  two 
previous  encounters  with  the  Japanese,  he  had 
learned  much.  He  had  learned,  among  other 
things,  the  value  of  the  unexpected.  And  though 
his  anger  was  almost  blinding,  he  cooled,  during 
those  few  short  strides,  to  his  usual  caution. 

Within  two  paces  of  Arima,  he  stopped  short. 

For  one  tense  moment  Orme  opened  his  senses  to 
all  impressions.  He  could  hear,  with  almost  pain 
ful  distinctness,  the  moans  of  the  two  men  he  had 


304       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

stunned  and  the  rustling  sounds  made  by  their 
writhings. 

He  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  girl.  The  search 
light  of  one  of  the  cars  struck  full  on  the  side  of 
her  face,  and  drew  there  a  distinct  shadow  of  the 
network  of  her  disarranged  hair.  He  saw  the 
strained,  excited  look  in  her  eyes. 

Her  captor  still  held  her  arm.  He  was  watch 
ing  Orme  and  Arima  indifferently,  as  though  quite 
confident  of  Japanese  skill. 

All  this  Orme  observed  in  an  instant.  Then 
his  eyes  were  again  on  Arima. 

He  knew  that  he  would  have  to  attack.  To 
await  the  trick  holds  of  the  Japanese  would  be  to 
invite  defeat.  But  if  he  attacked,  he  must  use  an 
unexpected  method. 

Suddenly  he  raised  his  left  arm  above  his  head 
and  clenched  his  fist.  His  right  arm  remained  by 
his  side. 

A  step  forward.  The  upraised  arm  descended. 
Swiftly  Arima  reached  upward  to  seize  it.  But 
even  as  the  one  arm  descended,  Orme  swung  his 
other,  with  terrific  force,  up  from  the  waist,  and 
caught  Arima  on  the  mouth. 

The  blow  missed  the  chin,  but  it  was  hard  enough 


THE   STRUGGLE  305 

to  fell  any  man  of  ordinary  strength.  Arlma 
staggered  back,  past  the  girl,  and  brought  up 
against  the  side  of  one  of  the  cars.  But  with 
hardly  an  instant  for  recovery,  he  leaped  forward 
again  and  the  man  who  was  holding  the  girl  also 
sprang  at  Orme. 

It  would  be  folly  to  meet  the  two.  Orme  turned 
and  ran  quickly  in  among  the  trees  of  the  little 
grove.  The  darkness  was  his  friend,  for  the  pur 
suers  halted  in  their  quick  run  and  separated, 
proceeding  more  cautiously. 

As  for  Orme,  once  in  shelter,  he  stopped  for 
breath. 

He  could  see  the  two  men  coming  toward  him. 
They  Avere  outlined  against  the  radiance  from  the 
motor-cars.  Cautiously  lie  stepped  toward  the 
south,  hoping  that  they  would  pass  him  in  the 
darkness,  but  he  dared  not  move  rapidly,  lest  a 
stumble  or  the  breaking  of  a  twig  betray  him. 

All  this  time  the  engines  of  the  two  cars  had 
continued  to  work,  and  their  muffled  chug-chug- 
chug  helped  to  cover  the  noise  of  footsteps. 

What  pleased  him  most  was  to  see,  out  of  the 
corner  of  his  eye,  that  the  girl  had  taken  advan 
tage  of  her  release  to  climb  to  the  chauffeur's  seat 


306       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

of  the  car  in  which  Maku  had  brought  them  from 
Chicago.  That  meant  that,  if  he  could  reach  the 
car,  they  might  get  away.  But  the  papers 

By  this  time  Orme  was  between  his  pursuers  and 
the  road.  He  stopped  and  groped  about  till  he 
found  a  fair-sized  stone,  then  worked  toward  the 
edge  of  the  grove.  The  moment  was  at  hand  to 
make  a  dash. 

Ten  steps  would  take  him  to  the  car ;  then  a  leap 
into  the  tonneau,  and  off  to  the  northward  he  and 
the  girl  would  speed.  Pursuit  would  be  delayed 
for  a  few  precious  moments,  for  the  Japanese 
would  have  to  turn  the  other  -car  around.  Those 
few  moments  would  determine  the  margin  of  suc 
cess  or  failure. 

But  there  were  the  papers.  At  all  cost  they 
must  be  secured.  The  plan  that  flashed  into 
Orme's  mind  was  to  draw  the  Japanese  from  the 
spot  and  then,  jumping  from  the  car,  let  the  girl 
lead  the  pursuers  on  while  he  returned. 

Just  as  he  was  about  to  rush  for  the  car  he 
heard  a  sound  among  the  trees.  He  wheeled  and 
saw  the  dim  outline  of  one  of  his  enemies  coming 
toward  him.  In  his  excitement  he  had  forgotten 
that  just  as  they  could  be  seen  by  him  when  they 


THE  STRUGGLE  307 

were  between  him  and  the  road,  so  he  could  now  be 
seen  by  them.  Undoubtedly  he  was  outlined,  as 
they  had  been,  against  the  background  of  the 
light. 

The  Japanese  was  only  a  few  feet  away.  Orme 
threw  the  stone ;  by  good  luck  it  struck  the  man  in 
the  stomach,  and  he  dropped  to  the  ground  and 
rolled  in  silent  agony. 

But  at  the  same  moment  Orme  was  seized  from 
behind,  and  held  in  a  grip  he  could  not  break.  In 
deed,  when  he  tried  to  break  it,  there  was  a  sudden, 
killing  strain  on  his  spine.  Then  Arima's  voice 
paid,  close  to  his  ear: 

"Where  the  papers?" 

The  papers! 

Japanese  character  thus  brought  its  fresh  sur 
prise  to  Orme.  Even  after  this  hard  fight,  when 
three  of  his  friends  lay  groaning  on  the  ground — 
when  he  had  in  his  power  the  man  who  had  injured 
them,  who  had  temporarily  bested  himself — 
Arima's  chief  thought  was  still  of  the  papers ! 

He  seemed  to  have  none  of  the  semi-barbarian 
vengefulness  that  might  have  been  expected.  He 
merely  wished  the  papers — wished  them  the  more 
desperately  with  every  passing  moment.  The 


308       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

lives  of  his  companions  counted  for  nothing  besides 
the  papers ! 

"  Where  ?  "  repeated  Arima. 

"  I  haven't  them,"  said  Orme.  "  You  ought  to 
know  that  by  this  time." 

The  answer  was  a  torturing  pressure  on  Orme's 
spine.  "  You  tell,"  hissed  Arima. 

As  the  pressure  increased  Orme's  suffering  was 
so  keen  that  his  senses  began  to  slip  away.  He 
was  gliding  into  a  state  in  which  all  consciousness 
centered  hazily  around  the  one  sharp  point  of 
pain. 

Then,  suddenly,  he  was  released  For  a  moment 
he  staggered  limply,  but  his  strength  surged  back, 
and  he  was  able  to  see  how  the  situation  had 
changed. 

The  girl  had  swung  her  car  in  closer  to  the  edge 
of  the  grove  and  nearer  to  the  struggling  figures. 
Doubtless  she  had  some  idea  of  helping.  But  the 
effect  of  the  change  in  the  position  of  her  car  was 
to  permit  the  searchlight  of  the  other  car  to  throw 
its  bright  beam  without  interruption  down  the 
road.  And  there,  perhaps  fifty  feet  to  the  south 
ward,  gleamed  something  white. 

rThe  girl  could  not  see  it,  for  her  car  was  headed 


THE  STRUGGLE  309 

north.  But  Arima  saw  it,  and  in  a  flash  he  real 
ized  what  it  was.  The  papers  lay  there  at  the  side 
of  the  road,  where  Orme  had  tossed  them  a  moment 
before  the  two  cars  met. 

There  had  been  no  other  way  to  dispose  of  them. 
If  the  car  from  the  north  had  stopped  at  a  differ 
ent  angle,  or  if  the  other  car  had  not  moved,  the 
light  would  not  have  shone  upon  them,  and  the 
Japanese  might  not  have  suspected  where  they 
were.  Or,  if  Orme  had  tossed  them  a  few  feet 
farther  to  one  side,  they  would  have  been  out  of 
the  range  of  the  light.  But  there  they  lay. 

Arima  leaped  toward  them.  Even  as  he  started, 
a  figure  appeared  at  the  other  side  of  the  road  and 
walked  over  toward  the  two  cars.  It  was  a  man 
with  brass  buttons  and  policeman's  helmet.  He 
walked  with  authority,  and  he  held  a  stout  club  in 
his  hand. 

"  What's  goin'  on  here  ?  "  he  demanded. 
Arima  stopped  in  his  tracks. 

To  Orme,  at  this  moment,  came  the  memory  of 
the  girl's  desire  to  avoid  publicity.  "  Nothing 
wrong,"  he  said. 

The  policeman  stared.  "  I've  been  watchin' 
you  from  over  there,"  he  said.  "  It  looks  like 


310       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

nothin'  wrong,  with  men  fighting  all  over  the 
ground." 

"  Just  a  little  trial  of  strength,"  explained 
Orme. 

"Trial  of  strength,  hey?" 

"  Well,"  admitted  Orme,  "  this  man  " — pointing 
to  Arima — "wanted  something  that  I  had.  It's 
not  a  matter  for  the  police." 

"Oh,  it  ain't?  Somebody's  been  hurt."  He 
gestured  with  his  club  toward  the  shadows  where 
the  three  injured  men  were  slowly  coming  back  to 
their  senses. 

"  Not  seriously,"  said  Orme. 

"  We'll  see  about  that  later,"  replied  the  police 
man  decidedly. 

Orme  tried  to  carry  the  affair  oft  boldly. 
Every  moment  of  delay  now  threatened  defeat  for 
him.  "  There  is  nothing  serious,"  he  said.  "  They 
have  done  me  no  real  harm.  But  the  young  lady 
and  I  shall  be  obliged  to  you,  if  you  will  keep  these 
Japanese  here  until  we  can  get  away.  They  at 
tacked  us,  but  I  don't  wish  to  make  a  com 
plaint  against  them." 

The  policeman  showed  new  interest.  He 
glanced  at  Arima.  "  Japanese ! "  he  exclaimed. 


THE   STRUGGLE  311 

"  There  was  one  slugged  on  the  campus  last  night. 
I  guess  you'll  all  have  to  come  along  with  me." 

"  Nonsense !  "  protested  Orme.  "  Just  because 
somebody  hit  a  Japanese  over  the  head  last 
night  -  -  " 

"Ah,  you  know  about  that,  do  you?  No  " — 
as  Orme  made  a  movement — "  stand  where  you 
are."  He  drew  his  revolver. 

During  this  colloquy,  'Arima  had  edged  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  papers.  Orme's  sudden  step 
was  involuntary;  it  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he 
had  seen  Arima  stoop  swiftly  and  pick  up  the 
papers  and  thrust  them  into  his  pocket. 

"  Keep  quiet,"  continued  the  policeman.  "  And 
you,  there  " — he  nodded  toward  Arima — "  come 
here." 

Arima  hesitated,  but  the  muzzle  of  the  revolver 
turned  toward  him,  and  he  came  and  stood  a  few 
feet  away. 

"  There's  somethin*  mighty  funny  about  this," 
continued  the  policeman.  "  We'll  just  get  into 
one  of  these  cars  and  go  to  the  station." 

"  This  man  and  me  ?  "  asked  Orme.  He  had 
visions  of  no  great  difficulty  in  satisfying  the 
questions  of  the  local  justice,  but  he  knew  that  an 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

arrest  would  mean  delay,  perhaps  of  hours.  And 
Arima  had  the  papers. 

"  I  mean  that  man,  and  you,  and  the  woman. 
I'll  send  someone  for  the  others.  If  you're  the 
fellow  that  did  the  sluggin'  on  the  campus  last 
night,  you  won't  get  away  from  me  again." 

"  What's  the  use  of  dragging  the  young  lady 
into  this  ?  "  demanded  Orme. 

"  None  o'  your  business." 

"  Can  I  speak  to  her  a  minute,  first?  " 

"  No,  you  can't.  There's  been  too  many  Chi 
cago  hold-up  men  around  here  lately,  and  I  won't 
take  chances  with  you."  The  policeman  made  this 
explanation  apparently  in  deference  to  Orme's  ap 
pearance,  which,  in  spite  of  the  evidence  of  strug 
gle,  was  that  of  a  gentleman.  "  Looks  don't  al 
ways  tell,"  he  continued. 

That  the  girl  should  be  taken  to  the  station  and 
held,  under  such  suspicious  circumstances  was  sim 
ply  not  to  be  thought  of. 

Doubtless  she  could  quickly  set  in  motion  forces 
that  would  liberate  her,  but  the  disgrace  of  deten 
tion  was  something  she  must  be  saved  from  at  any 
cost. 

She  was  known  in  Evanston.     Her  identity  once 


THE   STRUGGLE  313 

established,  the  story  of  her  arrest  would  be  sure 
to  spread.  Her  position  would  then  be  the  more 
painful,  because  the  circumstances  of  the  case  were 
such  that  she  was  unwilling  to  explain  them. 

Moreover,  Orme  realized  that,  if  he  and  Arima 
were  held,  the  care  of  the  girl  would  be  his  first 
thought,  and  the  recovery  of  the  papers  would  be 
forced  into  second  place.  That  would  not  be  ac 
cording  to  her  wish.  Assuredly,  if  he  was  to  get 
the  papers,  he  could  do  better  alone. 

She  sat  in  the  car,  not  more  than  six  feet  from 
him,  her  face  the  picture  of  mingled  emotions. 
Orme  saw  that  he  must  reassure  her  as  to  himself 
before  he  carried  out  the  plan  which  had  suddenly 
come  to  his  mind. 

"  You  will  make  a  mistake,  officer,  if  you  detain 
me,"  he  said,  speaking  distinctly,  so  that  the  girl 
would  be  sure  to  hear. 

"  Cut  it  out,"  said  the  policeman. 

"  A  little  telephoning  will  set  me  free  in  an 
hour,"  Orme  continued,  bending  to  pick  up  his 
hat,  which  had  fallen  to  the  ground  at  the  begin 
ning  of  the  fight.  "You  can't  do  anything  ex 
cept  take  me  to  the  station  and  find  out  that  you 
have  bungled." 


314       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  That's  my  affair,"  said  the  policeman.  "  But 
here,  we've  done  enough  talkinV  He  waved  his 
revolver  in  a  gesture  which  indicated  that  they 
were  to  enter  the  car. 

Now,  Orme  knew  that  the  girl  had  not  seen  him 
throw  the  papers  to  the  road.  Neither  had  she 
seen  Arima  pick  them  up.  Whatever  guess  she 
had  made  as  to  his  disposal  of  them,  there  was  no 
reason  for  her  to  doubt  that  he  had  again  got 
them  into  his  possession,  during  some  stage  of  the 
struggle. 

He  looked  at  her  earnestly  and  significantly, 
then  smiled  slightly,  in  the  thought  of  reassuring 
her. 

When  he  was  certain  that  she  was  watching  his 
every  move,  he  glanced  at  the  car,  then  up  the 
road  to  the  north.  Then,  with  such  quickness  that 
the  policeman  had  no  time  to  prevent,  he  snatched 
from  the  inner  pocket  of  his  coat  the  envelope  con 
taining  the  blank  contract  which  had  first  disap 
pointed  Arima,  and  tossed  it  into  the  tonneau. 

"Go!"  he  shouted. 

Like  a  shot,  she  sent  the  car  forward.  It  dis 
appeared  swiftly  into  the  night. 

Thus  far,  Orme  was  satisfied.     He  had  got  the 


THE   STRUGGLE  315 

girl  safely  away.  She  thought  that  he  had  thrown 
the  papers  into  the  car,  and  when  she  came  to  ex 
amine  them  she  would  be  disappointed,  but  Orme 
felt  that  she  would  then  understand — that  she 
would  continue  to  trust  him. 

As  the  car  darted  away  the  policeman  swung 
his  club  at  Orme. 

Before  the  blow  could  strike,  the  upraised  arm 
was  caught  by  a  little  hand  and  with  a  quick  jerk, 
the  policeman  was  pulled  to  the  ground.  His  re 
volver,  which  he  held  in  his  left  hand,  went  off  as 
he  fell,  and  a  leaf,  cut  from  a  tree  above  by  the 
bullet,  sailed  into  Orme's  face. 

The  policeman  lay  helpless  in  the  cunning  hold 
of  Maku — Maku,  who,  fully  restored  to  his  senses, 
had  crept  up  to  save  Arima  from  the  law. 

Orme  wondered  whether  the  girl  had  heard  the 
shot.  Probably  not,  for  she  was  driving  into  the 
wind.  But  he  had  no  time  to  consider  the  point, 
for  Arima,  suddenly  conscious  of  freedom,  leaped 
for  the  remaining  car.  He  had  the  papers;  he 
would  hurry  them  safely  to  his  master,  leaving 
Orme  and  the  policeman  to  the  mercies  of  his  re 
viving  confederates. 

The  papers  were  still  first  in  his  thoughts.    And 


316       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

why  not  ?  Orme  remembered  the  scathing  rebuke 
by  the  Japanese  minister.  In  the  flash  of  thought 
that  preceded  his  own  action  he  realized  that  the 
recovering  of  the  papers  was  Arima's  one  means  of 
righting  himself. 

As  Arima  grasped  the  steering-wheel  of  the  car 
and  threw  on  the  clutch,  Orme  ran  behind  the 
tonneau.  His  action  was  swiftly  calculated  to  give 
the  impression  that  he  was  dodging  around  the 
car  in  the  hope  of  escaping  on  foot. 

That  is  what  Arima  might  have  thought,  had 
he  glanced  around — what  Maku  might  have 
thought,  had  he  done  more  than  throw  one  swift 
glance  at  Arima,  then  devote  himself  again  to  the 
prostrate  officer. 

But  Orme,  reaching  upward,  got  his  hands  over 
the  high  back  of  the  tonneau.  He  hung  on 
tightly,  raising  his  feet  from  the  ground.  The  car 
plunged  forward. 

For  a  time  Orme  merely  kept  his  position.  The 
dust  whirled  up  in  his  face,  and  he  had  to  close  his 
eyes,  but  he  was  conscious  that  the  car  was  gain 
ing  speed  rapidly. 

The  situation  was  as  difficult  as  it  was  danger 
ous.  He  planned  nothing  less  than  to  climb  into 


THE   STRUGGLE  317 

the  car  and  deal  with  Arima  even  while  they  were 
flying  along  the  road.  But  he  must  wait  until 
they  had  gone  a  safe  distance  from  the  battle 
ground.  On  the  other  hand,  he  must  act  before 
they  got  into  the  thickly  settled  streets  of  the  town. 

He  figured  that  they  had  gone  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  when  he  began  his  effort.  Pulling  him 
self  up  by  his  hands,  he  peered  over  the  back  of 
the  tonneau.  He  could  see  Arima,  huddled  for 
ward  over  the  steering-wheel,  doubtless  watching 
the  road  ahead  with  a  careful  eye  for  obstacles  and 
for  the  police. 

For  Arima  was  driving  the  car  at  a  law-break 
ing  speed.  Clearly,  he  was  an  adept  at  motoring. 
But  Orme  did  not  stop  to  ask  himself  how  a  humble 
teacher  of  jiu-jitsu — a  professional  athlete — had 
acquired  so  much  skill  in  the  handling  of  a  car. 

It  proved  hard  to  get  into  the  tonneau.  Sev 
eral  times  he  got  one  leg  almost  over  the  back, 
only  to  be  dislodged  as  the  car  bumped  into  a 
rut  or  over  a  stone.  Once  he  almost  lost  his  grip 
entirely.  But  a  final  effort  gave  him  a  leg-hold, 
and  slowly — very  slowly — he  climbed  over  to  the 
leather  cushions  of  the  wide  seat. 

If  Arima  now  turned  and  saw  him,  almost  any- 


318       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

thing  might  happen.  But  before  he  could  become 
conscious  that  anyone  was  near  him,  Orme  was 
crouching  in  the  tonneau. 

The  car  was  going  at  a  thirty-five-milc  clip. 
The  street  lights  were  flashing  by,  and  not  far 
ahead  were  the  frequent  lights  of  houses.  Noth 
ing  could  be  done  here ;  therefore  Orme  got  down 
as  low  as  he  could.  He  realized  that  he  would  have 
to  wait  till  they  had  passed  through  the  town. 

Arima  had  not  remained  on  the  Sheridan  Road. 
He  had  taken  a  street  which  struck  off  from  it, 
more  directly  southward,  and  Orme  surmised  that 
the  intention  was  to  avoid  the  main  streets  of 
Evanston. 

When  the  car  came  to  a  cross  street  and  turned 
westward  this  surmise  was  strengthened.  They 
bumped  over  railroad  tracks.  Several  times  they 
passed  other  vehicles. 

Presently  Orme  raised  his  head  and  discovered 
that  the  houses  were  thinning  out.  The  car  ap 
peared  to  be  heading  straight  into  the  open  coun 
try,  and  Arima  put  on  more  speed.  Forty  miles 
an  hour  was  not  a  high  estimate  for  the  rate  at 
which  they  were  traveling. 

For    several    minutes    Orme    continued    in    his 


THE   STRUGGLE  319 

crouching  position.  The  positions  of  the  stars 
told  him  that  they  were  still  going  west — not  south 
toward  Chicago.  Every  turn  of  the  wheels,  there 
fore,  was  carrying  him  farther  into  unknown  terri 
tory — farther  from  the  girl  and  all  chance  of 
communicating  with  her.  Surely  he  must  act 
soon,  if  he  was  to  act  at  all ;  for  Arima  evidently 
was  proceeding  to  some  rendezvous,  where  Orme 
might  find  himself  again  in  the  midst  of  an  over 
whelming  number  of  enemies. 

But  what  could  he  do  ?  Rapidly  he  turned  over 
in  his  mind  the  various  courses  open  to  him. 
Should  he  try  to  stun  Arima  with  a  blow,  and  then 
reach  forward  and  take  the  steering-wheel  before 
the  car  could  swerve  into  the  ditch? 

The  blow  might  not  prove  effective.  In  that 
case,  the  chances  were  that  Arima  would  involun 
tarily  swing  the  car  to  one  side.  Then  there  would 
be  a  smash — with  death  or  serious  injury  threaten 
ing  both  Arima  and  himself. 

Should  he  try  to  cut  a  tire? 

The  feat  was  almost  impossible.  In  attempting 
it,  he  would  run  great  risk  of  premature  discovery, 
and  even  if  he  succeeded  in  the  attempt,  the  situa 
tion  would  be  little  changed.  The  necessity  of 


320       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

stopping  the  car  to  make  repairs  might  not  put 
Arima  in  his  hands. 

The  plan  he  at  last  decided  upon  was  to  throw 
his  left  arm  around  Arima's  neck  and  draw  him 
straight  back,  trusting  that  he  might  be  able  to 
get  over  the  seat  and  set  the  brakes  without  los 
ing  his  grip.  The  throat  of  the  jiu-jitsu  adept  is 
tough,  made  so  by  patient  development  of  neck 
muscles,  but  Orme  had  a  strong  arm,  and  he  be 
lieved,  moreover,  that  Arima  would  not  have  time 
to  protect  himself  by  stiffening  his  muscles  before 
the  grip  was  secured. 

The  car  was  skimming  along  over  the  turnpike 
like  some  flying  bird  of  night.  Orme  glanced  back 
over  the  way  they  had  come.  A  soft  electric  glow 
in  the  sky  told  where  Evanston  lay,  several  miles 
to  the  east.  Far  to  the  south  a  greater  glow 
showed  the  position  of  Chicago. 

Pulling  himself  erect,  Orme  leaned  forward.  It 
seemed  as  though  Arima  must  hear  him  breathe. 
Slowly  he  advanced  his  arm.  Then,  darting 
swiftly,  he  threw  it  around  Arima's  neck  and  drew 
backwards  with  a  j  erk. 

The  Japanese  was  taken  completely  unawares. 
Uttering  a  strangled  cry,  he  let  go  of  the  steering- 


THE   STRUGGLE  321 

wheel  and  clutched  at  the  choking  arm  that  held 
him ;  he  could  not  break  the  grip. 

Meanwhile  Orme  reached  for  the  steering-wheel 
with  his  free  arm.  But  Arima,  kicking  frantically, 
struck  the  wheel  with  his  foot,  just  as  Orme  was 
about  to  seize  it.  The  car  turned  sharply  to  one 
side.  Into  the  ditch  it  plunged. 

As  the  fore  wheels  dropped  into  the  depression, 
the  body  of  the  car  rose  in  the  air.  Orme,  still 
clinging  to  Arima,  shot  forward.  He  was  con 
scious,  in  that  fraction  of  a  second,  that  he  must 
release  his  hold,  or  Arima's  neck  would  be  broken ; 
so  he  unbent  his  arm. 

The  earth  arose  and  something  struck  him  heav 
ily.  He  saw  a  firmament  of  brilliant  stars.  Then 
all  was  black. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A  CHANCE  OF  THE  GAME 

THE  first  impression  that  came  to  Orme  with  re 
turning  consciousness  was  one  of  impending  dis 
aster.  His  mind  was  renewing  its  last  thought 
before  it  had  ceased  to  work. 

Then  he  realized  that  the  disaster  had  already 
occurred,  and  he  moved  his  arms  and  legs,  to  see  if 
they  had  been  injured.  They  gave  him  no  pain, 
and  he  raised  himself  to  a  sitting  position. 

The  soft  night  hovered  about  him.  He  heard 
confusedly  the  droning  of  insects,  and  the  distant 
mournful  call  of  a  whip-poor-will.  The  roar  of 
the  car  was  strangely  missing.  What  had  be 
come  of  it?  And  where  was  Arima?  These  were 
the  first  questions  he  asked  himself  as  he  became 
able  to  think  without  confusion. 

He  now  became  aware  that  his  head  hurt,  and 
raising  his  hand,  he  found  a  large  bump  under  the 
hair  above  his  right  temple.  Turning,  he  discov 
ered  that  he  had  been  thrown  over  the  fence  into 
a  field  of  thick-standing  grain,  which  had  broken 
322 


A  CHANCE  OF  THE  GAME         323 

his  fall.  His  head  must  have  struck  the  fence  in 
passing. 

He  got  to  his  feet.  At  first  he  was  bothered  by 
dizziness,  but  that  soon  disappeared. 

Climbing  the  fence,  he  saw  that  the  car  had 
turned  over  on  one  side.  At  a  glance  there  were 
no  evidences  of  superficial  damage,  but  it  would 
take  a  team  of  horses  and  some  time  to  right  it 
and  get  it  back  into  the  road.  The  lamps  had 
been  extinguished. 

In  the  ditch  near  the  car  lay  Arima.  One  of 
his  legs  was  bent  under  him  horribly.  Orme  hur 
ried  over  to  him. 

The  Japanese  was  conscious.  His  beady  eyes 
glittered  wetly  in  the  starlight,  but  he  said  no 
word,  gave  no  groan,  made  no  show  of  pain. 
Whatever  he  may  have  suffered,  he  endured  with 
the  stoicism  that  is  traditional  in  his  race. 

"  Much  hurt?"  asked  Orme,  bending  over  him. 

"  My  leg  broke."     Arima  spoke  unemotionally. 

Orme  considered.  "  I'll  send  you  help,"  he  said, 
at  last.  "  Lie  quiet  for  a  little  while,  and  you  will 
be  looked  after." 

He  rose,  smoothed  out  his  clothing,  and  pulled 
himself  together.  It  was  not  part  of  his  program 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

to  let  whomever  he  might  meet  know  that  he  him 
self  had  been  concerned  in  the  wreck. 

In  a  moment  he  returned  to  Arima.  "  I'll  have 
to  have  those  papers,"  he  said. 

Silently  the  Japanese  reached  within  his  coat  and 
drew  out  the  papers.  He  held  them  up  for  Orme 
to  take. 

"  You  have  me  beat,"  he  said.  "  Spirit  told  me 
I  must  fail." 

A  picture  of  the  scene  in  Madame  Alia's  rooms 
came  to  Orme ;  the  darkness  broken  only  by  a  pin 
point  of  gaslight ;  the  floating,  ghostly  forms ;  the 
circle  of  awed  believers,  with  the  two  Japanese,  in 
tent  as  children. 

The  medium's  work  for  him  had  not  ended  when 
she  helped  him  to  escape.  Mentally  he  redoubled 
his  thanks  to  her,  for  she  had  so  impressed  the 
fatalistic  mind  of  Arima  that  he  gave  the  papers 
over  without  making  necessary  a  final  struggle. 

By  the  size  and  shape  of  the  papers  Orme  recog 
nized  them.  Nevertheless,  to  make  sure  that  he 
was  not  being  deceived;  he  slid  his  hands  over 
Arima's  coat,  and  felt  in  the  pockets.  He  found 
nothing  that  resembled  the  papers  he  had,  so  he 
thrust  them  into  his  own  pocket. 


A  CHANCE  OF  THE  GAME         325 

He  now  took  out  his  watch.  There  was  not 
enough  light  to  see  what  time  it  was,  and  he  ran 
his  fingers  over  the  dial,  as  he  had  done  during 
that  time  of  imprisonment,  earlier  in  the  evening. 
As  nearly  as  he  could  tell  it  was  ten  minutes  past 
nine.  He  could  hardly  believe  that  it  was  so  early. 

With  a  final,  "  Take  it  easy,"  to  Arima,  Orme 
now  started  down  the  road  toward  the  lights  of  a 
house,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead. 

He  had  it  in  mind  to  examine  the  papers,  to  find 
a  clue  to  the  name  of  the  girl's  father.  The  senti 
ment  which  had  led  him  to  refuse  her  offer  to  tell 
him  everything  must  now  be  neglected.  There 
might  still  be  time  to  deliver  the  papers  before 
midnight,  but  he  did  not  dare  delay. 

For  one  thing,  he  had  only  the  haziest  notion  as 
to  his  whereabouts.  Obviously  he  was  somewhere 
west  of  Evanston,  but  that  meant  little  in  an  un 
familiar  country.  He  would  have  to  find  some 
conveyance. 

Not  altogether  without  sympathy  for  his  fallen 
enemy,  he  nevertheless  felt  that  Arima  had  received 
no  more  than  he  deserved.  There  had  been  no 
hesitation  about  the  different  attacks  made  upon 
himself.  He  had  provoked  no  assault  unless  by 


626       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

the  fact  that  he  had  the  marked  bill  in  his  posses 
sion.  But  the  calmness  with  which  Arima  had  en 
dured  his  final  defeat  aroused  admiration.  After 
all,  the  Japanese  had  merely  acted  under  orders. 
And  now  Orme's  first  thought  was  to  get  help  for 
him. 

He  came  to  the  lights  he  had  seen.  They  shone 
through  the  windows  of  a  small  farmhouse  a  few 
rods  back  from  the  road.  A  short  avenue  of  pop 
lars  led  to  the  door. 

In  response  to  Orme's  knock,  the  man  of  the 
house  appeared — a  German  with  sleepy  eyes  and 
tousled  yellow  hair. 

"  There  is  an  injured  man  down  the  road  a 
way,"  said  Orme.  "  Motor-car  smash." 

"So?" 

"  His  leg  is  broken,  I  think.  I  made  him  as 
comfortable  as  I  could.  Can  you  get  a  doctor? 
The  man  will  rest  quiet  till  a  doctor  comes.  He 
can't  be  moved  very  well." 

"  Ein  doctor?  Ja.  Es  1st  one  bei  Niles  Cen 
ter.  Mem  son  vill  go  for  him.  Too  bad!  Too 
bad!  Come  in." 

"  No,  thank  you,"  said  Orme  carelessly. 

"  Vas  you  in  der  accident?  " 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       327 

"Do  I  look  it?  "  Orme  laughed. 

"  Nein,  you  do  not  look  it.  Achi  Dese  auty- 
mobles !  Dey  makes  much  harm." 

"  It  is  too  bad,"  admitted  Orme. 

"  He  vas  a  millionaire,  maybe.  Dey  comes  by 
here  so  fast,  going  to  Arradale.  Hans !  Komm 
Hier!  Ein  man  is  gesmashed.  Du  must  for  der 
doctor  go."  He  turned  back  to  Orme.  "Mein 
son,  he  will  go." 

But  Orme  had  no  ears  for  what  the  sympathetic 
German  said.  One  word  had  made  his  heart  leap. 

"  Arradale ! " 

There  he  was  to  have  dined  with  Tom  and  Bessie 
Wallingham !  He  had  forgotten  them  utterly. 
Were  they  still  at  the  golf  club?  Possibly,  and, 
in  any  event,  if  he  could  reach  the  club,  he  would 
be  near  a  railroad. 

"  How  far  is  Arradale?  "  he  asked. 

"  Halb-m'iles.  Und  vere  did  you  say  der  hurt 
man  vas  ?  " 

"  A  few  hundred  feet  back  there."  Orme  indi 
cated  the  direction.  "  Can  I  reach  Arradale  by 
this  road?  " 

"  Next  turn — rechts.  I  will  take  de  man  some 
schnapps ." 


328       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  That  will  be  good.  His  friends  will  make  it 
right  with  you." 

"  Achl    Do  not  say  so !  " 

The  German  shook  his  head  in  deprecation  of  the 
idea  that  he  wished  any  return  for  his  services. 
Meantime  his  long-legged,  towheaded  son  had  come 
from  within  and  stood  gaping  behind  his  father. 

"  Vill  you  go  back  to  der  man  mit  me  ?  "  asked 
the  German. 

"  No,"  said  Orme. 

"So?     Veil,  all  right." 

"  I'm  sorry  I  can't  wait,"  said  Orme.  "  I've 
done  what  I  could,  and  I  have  a  long  way  to  go." 

"Sure!    Dat's  all  right !" 

"  Then  thank  you  very  much.    Good-night." 

Orme  walked  briskly  to  the  road  and  turned 
west.  He  felt  assured  that  Arima  would  be  looked 
after. 

Following  the  road  to  the  first  crossing,  he 
turned  to  the  right.  In  a  few  minutes  he  saw  the 
lights  of  the  clubhouse,  and  a  little  later  he 
stepped  upon  the  veranda. 

Many  people  were  seated  in  the  comfortable 
porch  chairs.  The  charms  of  the  summer  evening 
had  held  them  after  their  afternoon  of  play.  And 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       329 

from  one  of  the  groups  came  the  sound  of  a  voice 
— a  man's  voice — which  Orme  found  vaguely  fami 
liar.  He  could  not  place  it,  however,  and  he  quickly 
forgot  it  in  his  general  impression  of  the  scene. 

In  this  atmosphere  of  gayety  he  felt  strangely 
out  of  place.  Here  all  was  chatter  and  froth — 
the  activity  of  the  surf  ace- joy  of  living;  but  he 
had  stepped  into  it  fresh  from  a  series  of  events 
that  had  uncovered  the  inner  verities. 

Here  the  ice  tinkled  in  cool  glasses,  and  women 
laughed  happily,  and  every  one  was  under  the  spell 
of  the  velvety  summer  evening;  but  he  had  looked 
into  the  face  of  Love  and  the  face  of  Death — and 
both  were  still  near  to  his  heart. 

He  found  a  servant  and  asked  for  the  Walling- 
hams. 

"  Mr.  Wallingham  has  left,  sir,"  said  the  man, 
"  but  Mrs.  Wallingham  is  here." 

"  Ask  her  if  Mr.  Orme  may  speak  to  her." 

He  smiled  rather  grimly  as  the  servant  departed, 
for  he  anticipated  Bessie's  laughing  accusations. 

And  presently  she  came,  an  admonishing  finger 
upheld. 

"  Robert — Orme,"  she  exclaimed,  "  how  dare 
you  show  your  face  now?  " 


330      THE    GIRL   AND   THE    BILL 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,  Bessie.  Honest,  I  couldn't. 
I  must  ask  you  to  forgive  and  forget." 

"  That's  a  hard  request,  Bob.  You  have  broken 
two  engagements  in  one  day — and  one  of  them  for 
dinner.  But  never  mind.  I  have  a  weakness  that 
I  acquired  from  Tom — I  mean  the  weakness  of  be 
lieving  in  you.  Go  ahead  and  explain  yourself." 

"  It  would  take  too  long,  Bessie.  Please  let  me 
put  it  off." 

"Until  you  can  manage  a  good  excuse?  You 
want  all  the  trumps." 

"  My  explanation  is  all  tangled  up  with  other 
people's  affairs.  Where's  Tom  ?  " 

*'  He  went  back  to  the  city  early — awfully  sorry 
that  he  couldn't  stay  to  have  dinner  with  you. 
There  is  a  committee  or  something  this  evening." 

"  Bessie,  you  know  what  I  asked  you  over  the 
telephone.  Can  you — can  you  help  me?  " 

«  What— Now?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Why,  Bob,  what's  the  matter  with  you?  This 
is  no  time  of  day  to  make  a  call." 

"  It's  very  important,  Bessie.  It  doesn't  con 
cern  the  young  lady  alone.  I  simply  must  be  at 
her  house  within  the  next  two  hours." 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       331 

She  eyed  him  earnestly.  "  If  you  say  that,  Bob, 
I  must  believe  you.  And,  of  course,  I'll  help  all 
I  can." 

Orme  sighed  his  relief.     "  Thanks,"  he  said. 

She  flashed  a  speculative  glance  at  him. 

"  I'm  sorry,"  he  said,  "  that  I  can't  tell  you 
what  it's  all  about.  You'll  just  have  to  take  my 
word  for  it." 

"  Have  I  asked  you  to  tell  me  ?  " 

"  No,  you  marvel  of  womanhood.  You  are  dy 
ing  of  curiosity,  I  don't  doubt,  but  your  restraint 
is  superhuman." 

Again  she  looked  at  him  keenly.  "  Bob,  you 
are  dying  of  curiosity  yourself.  Don't  you  sup 
pose  I  can  see?  " 

"  It's  something  harder  than  curiosity,"  said 
Orme  simply. 

"  How  eager  are  you !  "  She  laughed.  "  Now, 
there  is  plenty  of  time.  The  trip  won't  take  us 
more  than  half  an  hour ;  so  come  along  and  meet 
some  friends  of  mine." 

"  Bessie — if  you  could  hurry " 

"  We  can't  start  until  the  car  comes.  I'm  ex 
pecting  it  at  any  moment.  So  be  good,  and  come 
along.  There's  such  an  interesting  man — and 


332      THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

very  distinguished.  We  don't  try  to  pronounce 
his  name.  Just  think,  he  was  engaged  for  dinner 
here,  also,  and  came  too  late.  And  ever  since  he 
arrived  he's  been  called  to  the  telephone  at  five- 
minute  intervals.  So  exciting!  Nobody  can 
guess  what  he's  so  busy  about." 

She  threaded  her  way  through  the  lively  groups 
on  the  veranda,  and  reluctantly  he  followed.  The 
voice  which  he  had  so  nearly  recognized  sounded 
closer,  then  stopped  with  a  curious  little  laugh 
that  was  loudly  echoed  by  others. 

Bessie  broke  in  upon  the  lull  that  followed. 
*'  Excellency,  may  I  present  another  man  who 
missed  his  dinner? "  she  said  saucily.  "  Mr. 
Orme." 

The  man  addressed  was  sitting  comfortably  in 
a  wicker  chair  that  was  several  sizes  too  large  for 
him.  At  the  mention  of  Orme's  name  he  got  to 
his  feet  with  startling  alacrity. 

"  Mr. — Orme? "  His  surprise  was  unmis 
takable. 

"  Mr.  Robert  Orme,"  said  Bessie. 

Someone  struck  a  match  to  light  a  cigar,  and 
in  the  sudden  light  Orme  found  himself  looking 
into  the  face  of  the  Japanese  minister. 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       333 

"  I  think  I  have  never  met  you  before,"  said  the 
minister  slowly. 

"  I  think  not,"  replied  Orme. 

He  was  much  disquieted  by  the  encounter. 
Now  he  understood  that  Arima  had  been  bound  for 
this  very  place. 

If  only  he  had  refused  to  let  Bessie  drag  him 
into  her  circle!  The  minister  would  not  have 
known  his  face,  but  the  mention  of  his  name  gave 
full  enlightenment. 

The  minister  resumed  his  seat,  and  a  chair  was 
brought  for  Orme.  There  were  other  introduc 
tions. 

A  woman's  voice  renewed  the  conversation. 
"  Excellency,  won't  you  tell  us  another  of  your 
very  interesting  stories  ?  " 

The  minister  turned  to  her.  "  I  will  tell  you 
one,"  he  said,  "  that  you  will  not  find  in  the  litera 
ture  of  my  country.  It  is  a  story  of  the  secret 
service,  and  it  came  to  me  through  my  personal 
acquaintance  with  some  of  the  participants." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  splendid ! "  exclaimed  the 
woman. 

The  minister  waited  for  a  moment.  He  turned 
his  face  toward  Orme,  and  asked  politely :  "  You 


334       THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

will  not  mind  listening  to  what  I  have  to  say,  Mr. 
Orme?" 

"  Why,  to  be  sure  not,"  replied  Orme,  won 
dering. 

"  My  stories  are  not  always  short,"  continued 
the  minister,  "  as  the  others  already  know.  But 
they  sometime  hold  meanings  which,  in  my  country, 
at  least,  would  be  perfectly  plain." 

After  this  odd  bit  of  by-play,  he  began  his 
narrative : 

"  There  was  a  man  who  lived  in  the  city  of  Tak- 
amatsu,  on  the  island  of  Shikoku.  His  name  was 
Kimaga,  and  he  was  much  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him,  for  he  was  painstakingly  devoted  to  his 
aged  and  mos'  honorable  parents.  By  trade  he 
was  a  maker  of  vases — a — what  you  call  him — a 
potter. 

"  One  day  while  Kimaga  was  walking  upon  the 
road,  he  saw  before  him  on  the  ground  a  letter. 
He  picked  it  up.  It  was  sealed,  but  he  discovered 
upon  the  outside  a  curious  writing  which  he  could 
not  make  out.  In  fact,  Kimaga  could  not  read  at 
all.  He  was  very  poorly  educate. 

"  But  Kimaga  was  charm  by  the  grace  and 
beauty  of  the  writing.  Though  he  could  not  read 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       335 

it,  it  fascinated  his  eyes.  He  decided  to  keep  it, 
making  no  attempt  to  find  the  rightful  owner. 
You  must  know  that  in  Nippon  beauty  is  worship 
by  the  humblest  workman. 

"  It  happened  that  the  letter  had  been  written 
by  a  Chinese  spy,  and  it  contained  a  report  con 
cerning  our  fortifications.  Now  there  is  in  Nip 
pon  a  very  secret  service.  It  is  not  responsible  to 
the  government.  It  is  compose  of  nobles  who  for 
many  and  many  a  generation  have  bound  them 
selves  by  a  strong  oath  to  do  patriotic  service 
which  the  government  itself  might  be  too  embar 
rassed  to  undertake.  If  they  are  oblige  to  use 
extreme  measures,  and  are  arrested  because  of 
what  they  have  done,  they  calmly  accept  the  pun 
ishment  of  the  law  without  explaining  their  ac 
tions.  Sons  of  noble  houses  have  been  executed 
for  assassinating  secret  enemies  of  Nippon,  and 
they  have  met  this  fate  as  their  oath  demanded. 

"  Members  of  this  secret  service  knew  about  this 
letter  of  the  Chinese  spy.  They  knew,  also,  that 
it  had  been  lost,  and  before  long  they  learned  that 
Kimaga  had  picked  it  up.  How  they  learned  all 
this  does  not  matter.  But  they  also  knew  that  the 
relations  between  Nippon  and  China  at  the  time 


336       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

were  of  such  a  strain  that  their  government,  not 
wishing  to  give  cause  of  war,  would  hesitate  to 
punish  the  Chinese  spy. 

"  In  the  meantime  Kimaga  had  become  so  ena- 
mor  of  the  letter  that  he  could  not  bear  to  let  it 
go  out  of  his  possession.  When  he  was  alone  he 
would  feast  his  eyes  upon  the  beautiful  writing. 
But  it  was  not  long  before  he  discovered  that  men 
were  watching  him,  and  he  became  filled  with  fear. 
Why  should  he  be  watched?  Had  he  done  a  guilty 
thing? 

"  So  greatly  did  the  fear  swell  in  him  that  he  de 
cided  to  take  the  letter  back  to  the  place  where  he 
had  found  it,  and  drop  it  again  in  the  road.  But 
when  he  got  to  the  place  and  looked  for  a  last  time 
at  the  writing,  it  give  him  such  longing  to  keep  it 
that  he  thrust  it  into  his  breast  again  and  hurried 
back  to  his  shop  . 

"  That  night  a  man  came  to  see  Kimaga. 

"  '  Are  you  Kimaga,  the  maker  of  vases  ?  '  he 
said. 

"  Kimaga,  all  trembling,  replied  that  he  was. 

"  *  Then,'  said  the  man,  *  I  have  come  to  you 
with  high  purpose.  You  have  a  letter  which  does 
not  belong  to  you.  Give  it  to  me.' 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       337 

"  '  Does  it  belong  to  you?  '  asked  Kimaga,  his 
desire  putting  armor  on  his  fear. 

"  *  That  is  not  to  be  asked,'  replied  the  man.  '  I 
am  samurai.  For  the  glory  of  Nippon  you  mus' 
give  me  the  letter.' 

"  But  Kimaga  did  not  wish  to  let  the  letter  go. 
1  How  do  you  know  that  I  have  it?  '  he  said.  *  You 
have  not  seen  it.' 

"  *  It  is  enough  that  I  know,'  said  the  man. 
'  Three  days  I  allcw  you.  If  by  then  the  letter 
has  not  been  placed  on  the  altar  of  the  war-god, 
in  the  shrine  of  Samiya,  then  you  will  be  assas 
sinated.' 

"  With  that  the  man  went  away. 

"  Kimaga  was  now  almos'  dead  with  fright. 
For  the  first  day  he  did  nothing  but  weep.  The 
second  day  he  put  on  mourning  and  set  his  affairs 
in  order.  The  third  day  he  held  the  letter  in  his 
hand  for  many  hours  and  filled  his  mind  with  the 
beauty  of  the  writing.  He  could  not  give  it  up. 
Rather  would  he  die.  And  at  last  he  placed  it  in 
a  lacquer  box  and  buried  it  deep  at  the  foot  of 
the  largest  cherry-tree  in  his  garden. 

"  He  arose  to  go  back  into  his  house,  an'  his 
head  was  bowed  over  with  terror.  You  see,  he 


338       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

felt  that  many  eyes  were  watching  him  from  the 
near-by  walls,  an'  he  thought  he  heard  breathings 
and  the  whispers  of  strangers.  What  should  he 
do  now?  He  dare  not  advance;  he  dare  not  stay 
where  he  was.  So  exceeding  affrighted  was  he 
that  he  groaned  aloud.  From  all  about  him  came 
groans  that  answered  his.  Once  more  he  groaned, 
and  once  more  his  ears  were  filled  with  the  answers. 

"  Then  he  took  one  step  toward  his  house. 
Nothing  happened.  He  took  another  step,  an' 
his  knees  they  shook  like  the  palsy.  The  breath 
ings  an'  whisperings  seem,  oh,  so  much  nearer  now. 
But  he  muster  all  his  strength  an'  put  out  his  foot 
for  the  third  step.  It  did  not  reach  the  ground 
again  before  the  vengeance  struck  him. 

"  The  next  morning  his  wife  found  him  dead. 
His  head  had  been  severed  from  his  body." 

The  minister  stopped  and  sat  back  in  his  chair. 

"  How  awful ! "  exclaimed  the  woman  who  had 
asked  for  a  story. 

"  Not  so,"  said  the  minister  affably.  "  In  serv 
ing  my  country,  such  things  mus'  be  done.  Ki- 
maga  should  have  given  the  letter.  Don't  you 
think  so,  Mr.  Orme?  " 

The  parable  was  quite  clear  to  Orme.  He  un 
derstood  the  threat. 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       339 

"  In  America,"  he  said,  drily,  "  we  do  not  wor 
ship  penmanship." 

"  But  an  American  might  for  other  reasons  keep 
a  letter  that  did  not  belong  to  him." 

"  Not  if  he  was  honorable.  His  natural  course 
would  be  to  see  that  it  was  delivered  to  the  per 
son  for  whom  it  was  intended.  Certainly  he 
would  not  give  it  to  any  man  who  could  not  prove 
his  right  to  it." 

"  Would  he  not?  But  if  he  were  told  that  he 
mus'  die ?  " 

"  In  that  case  he  would  inform  his  friends  of  the 
threats  against  him,  and  they  would  see  that  his 
murderers  were  hanged.  Assassination  is  not  pop 
ular  in  America,  Excellency." 

Orme  did  not  attempt  to  conceal  the  contempt 
in  his  words,  and  several  of  the  listeners  moved  in 
their  chairs,  betraying  their  embarrassment. 

"  Perhaps,  then,  Mr.  Orme,"  said  the  minister, 
*'  you  could  favor  us  with  a  story  which  would  show 
the  attitude  of  an  American  in  such  an  affair." 

Orme  laughed.  "  Oddly  enough,"  he  replied,  "  I 
can  give  you  just  such  a  story — if  you  all  care  to 
hear  it." 

"  Go  on,"  murmured  one  of  the  men. 

"  It  happened  to  a  friend  of  mine,"  said  Orme. 


340       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  He  had  in  his  possession  a  number  of  proxies, 
the  use  of  which  would  determine  the  control  of  a 
certain  corporation.  While  he  was  carrying  these 
proxies  to  the  country-house  of  the  man  to  whom 
he  was  to  deliver  them,  he  was  attacked  by  a  man 
who  was  acting  for  another  faction.  This  man 
secured  the  advantage  over  my  friend  and,  robbing 
him  of  the  proxies,  jumped  into  a  waiting  motor 
car  to  make  his  escape." 

"And  did  he  escape?"  the  minister  inter 
rupted. 

"  He  thought  himself  safe,"  continued  Orme, 
"  but  my  friend  had  caught  the  back  of  the  motor 
car  just  as  it  started.  He  climbed  silently  into  the 
tonneau,  and  throwing  his  arm  around  the  neck  of 
the  thief,  pulled  him  backward  from  his  seat. 

"  The  car  was  ditched,  and  my  friend  and  the 
thief  were  both  thrown  out.  My  friend  was  not 
hurt.  The  thief,  however,  had  his  leg  broken." 

"  What  happened  then  ?  "  inquired  the  minister ; 
for  Orme  had  paused. 

"  Oh,  my  friend  took  the  proxies  from  the 
thief's  pocket  and  walked  away.  He  stopped  at 
the  nearest  farm-house  and  sent  help  back." 

"  Even  in  America,"  commented  the  minister, 


A    CHANCE    OE    THE    GAME 

"  the  frien's  of  the  injured  man  might  see  that  his 
hurt  was  avenge.  The  man  who  caused  the  acci 
dent  should  be  made  to  suffer." 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Orme.  "  If  the  matter  were 
pressed  at  all,  the  correct  thing  to  do  would  be  to 
arrest  the  man  with  the  broken  leg.  He  had 
stolen  the  papers  in  the  first  place.  Harm  came 
to  him,  when  he  tried  to  escape  with  the  papers 
after  stealing  them.  But  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
average  American  would  consider  the  affair  at 
an  end." 

"  Your  story  and  mine  are  dissimilar,"  remarked 
the  minister. 

"Perhaps.  But  they  involve  a  similar  ques 
tion  :  whether  a  man  should  yield  passively  to  a 
power  that  appears  to  be  stronger  than  his  own. 
In  America  we  do  not  yield  passively  unless  we 
understand  all  the  bearings  of  the  case,  and  see 
that  it  is  right  to  yield." 

At  this  moment  a  motor-car  came  up  the  drive. 
"  There's  our  car,  Bob,"  said  Bessie.  "  Wait  a 
moment,  while  I  get  my  wraps.  I  know  that  you 
are  impatient  to  go." 

"  I  know  that  you  are  a  good  friend,"  he  whis 
pered,  as  she  arose. 


THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

He  did  not  care  to  remain  with  the  group  in 
Bessie's  absence.  With  a  bow,  he  turned  to  stroll 
by  himself  down  the  veranda.  But  the  minister 
jumped  to  his  feet  and  called: 

"Mr.  Orme!" 

Orme  looked  back.  "  Please  be  so  good  as  to 
return,"  continued  the  minister. 

With  mere  politeness,  Orme  halted,  and  took  a 
step  back  toward  his  chair. 

An  air  of  startled  expectancy  was  manifest  in 
the  positions  taken  by  the  different  members  of  the 
group.  The  minister's  voice  had  sounded  sharp 
and  authoritative,  and  he  now  stepped  forward  a 
pace  or  two,  stopping  at  a  point  where  the  light 
from  one  of  the  clubhouse  windows  fell  full  on 
his  face.  Clearly  he  was  laboring  under  great  ex 
citement. 

"  You  have  something  to  say  to  me  ?  "  inquired 
Orme.  He  foresaw  an  effort  to  detain  him. 

"  I  am  compelled  to  ask  the  ladies  to  leave  us 
for  a  few  minutes,"  said  the  minister,  seriously. 
"  There  is  a  matter  of  utmos'  importance." 

He  bowed.  The  women,  hesitating  in  their  em 
barrassment,  rose  and  walked  away,  leaving  the 
lialf-dozen  men  standing  in  a  circle. 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       343 

"  I  find  myself  in  an  awkward  position,"  began 
the  minister,  slowly.  "  I  am  a  guest  of  your  club, 
and  I  should  never  dream  of  saying  what  I  mus' 
say,  were  my  own  personal  affairs  alone  involved. 
Let  me  urge  that  no  one  leave  until  I  have  done." 

For  a  tense  moment  he  was  silent.  Then  he 
went  on: 

"  Gentlemen,  while  we  were  talking  together  here, 
I  had  in  my  pocket  certain  papers  of  great  im 
portance  to  my  country.  In  the  last  few  minutes 
they  have  disappeared.  I  regret  to  say  it — but, 
gentlemen,  someone  has  taken  them." 

There  was  a  gasp  of  astonishment. 

"  I  mus'  even  open  myself  to  the  charge  of  abus 
ing  your  hospitality,  rather  than  let  the  matter 
pass.  If  I  could  only  make  you  understand  how 
grave  it  is  " — he  was  brilliantly  impressive.  Just 
the  right  shade  of  reluctance  colored  his  earnest 
ness. 

"  I  have  every  reason  to  think,"  he  continued, 
"  that  the  possession  of  those  papers  would  be  of 
immense  personal  advantage  to  the  man  who  has 
been  sitting  at  my  right — Mr.  Orme." 

"  This  is  a  serious  charge,  Excellency,"  ex 
claimed  one  of  the  men. 


344       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  I  am  aware  of  that.  But  I  am  obliged  to  ask 
you  not  to  dismiss  it  hastily.  My  position  and 
standing  are  known  to  you.  When  I  tell  you 
that  these  papers  are  of  importance  to  my  coun 
try,  you  can  only  in  part  realize  how  great  that 
importance  is.  Gentlemen,  I  mus'  ask  Mr.  Orme 
whether  he  has  the  papers." 

Orme  saw  that  the  minister's  bold  stroke  was 
having  its  effect.  He  decided  quickly  to  meet  it 
with  frankness.  "  The  papers  to  which  His  Ex 
cellency  refers,"  he  said  quietly,  "  are  in  my 
pocket." 

Several  of  the  men  exclaimed. 

"  But,"  Orme  went  on,  "  I  did  not  take  them 
from  His  Excellency.  On  the  contrary,  his  agents 
have  for  some  time  been  using  every  device  to  steal 
them  from  me.  They  have  failed,  and  now  he  is 
making  a  last  attempt  by  trying  to  persuade  you 
that  they  belong  to  him." 

"  I  submit  that  this  smart  answer  does  not  sat 
isfy  my  charge,"  cried  the  minister. 

"  Do  you  really  wish  to  go  further  ?  "  demanded 
Orme.  "  Would  you  like  me  to  explain  to  these 
men  what  those  papers  really  mean  ?  " 


A    CHANCE    OF    THE    GAME       345 

"  If  you  do  that,  you  betray  my  country's  se 
crets." 

Orme  turned  to  the  others.  "  His  Excellency 
and  I  are  both  guests  here,"  he  said.  "  Leaving 
his  official  position  out  of  the  question,  my  word 
must  go  as  far  as  his.  I  assure  you  that  he  has  no 
claim  at  all  upon  the  papers  in  my  pocket." 

"  That  is  not  true !  " 

The  minister's  words  exploded  in  a  sharp  sta- 
cato. 

"  In  this  country,"  said  Orme,  calmly,  "  we 
knock  men  down  for  words  like  that.  In  Japan, 
perhaps,  the  lie  can  be  passed  with  impunity." 

"  Gentlemen,  I  ask  that  Mr.  Orme  be  detained," 
exclaimed  the  minister  furiously. 

"  I  will  not  be  detained,"  said  Orme. 

The  other  men  were  whispering  among  them 
selves,  and  at  last  one  of  them  stepped  forward 
as  spokesman.  "  This  is  a  serious  matter  for  the 
club,"  he  said.  "  I  suggest,  Mr.  Orme,  that  we  go 
to  the  library  " — he  glanced  significantly  at  the 
other  groups  on  the  veranda — "  where  no  one  can 
overhear  us,  and  talk  the  matter  over  quietly." 

"  But  that  will  exactly  fit  in  with  his  scheme," 


346         THE  GIRL  AND  THE  BILL 

exclaimed  Orme,  heatedly.  "  He  knows  that,  in 
the  interests  of  our  own  country  " — he  hazarded 
this — "  I  must  be  at  a  certain  place  before  mid 
night.  He  will  use  every  means  to  delay  me — 
even  to  charging  me  with  theft." 

"What  is  that?"  Bessie  Wallingham's  voice 
broke  in  upon  them.  "  Is  anyone  daring  to  accuse 
Bob  Orme?" 

In  her  long,  gray  silk  motor-cloak,  with  the 
filmy  chiffon  veil  bound  about  her  hat,  she  startled 
them,  like  an  apparition. 

The  spokesman  explained.  "  His  Excellency 
says  that  Mr.  Orme  has  stolen  some  papers  from 
him." 

"  Then  His  Excellency  is  at  fault,"  said  Bessie, 
promptly.  "  I  vouch  for  Mr.  Orme.  He  is  Tom's 
best  friend,  and  Tom  is  one  of  the  governors  of 
the  club.  Come,  Bob." 

She  turned  away  decisively,  and  Orme  recog 
nized  the  advantage  she  had  given  him,  and  strode 
after  her.  From  noises  behind  him,  he  gathered 
that  the  men  were  holding  the  minister  back  by 
main  force. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  GOAL 

THE  chauffeur  was  opening  the  door  of  the  wait 
ing  car.  It  was  a  black  car — a  car  with  strangely 
familiar  lines.  Orme  started.  "  Where  did  that 
come  from?  "  he  demanded. 

Bessie  smiled  at  him.  "  That  is  my  surprise  for 
you.  My  very  dear  friend,  whom  you  so  much  de 
sire  to  see,  telephoned  me  here  this  evening  and 
asked  me  to  spend  the  night  with  her  instead  of  re 
turning  to  Chicago.  She  promised  to  send  her  car 
for  me.  It  was  long  enough  coming,  goodness 
knows,  but  if  it  had  appeared  sooner,  I  should 
have  gone  before  you  arrived." 

Orme  understood.  The  girl  had  telephoned  to 
Bessie  while  he  waited  there  on  La  Salle  Street. 
She  had  planned  a  meeting  that  would  satisfy  him 
with  full  knowledge  of  her  name  and  place.  And 
the  lateness  of  the  car  in  reaching  Arradale  was 
unquestionably  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  had  not 
set  out  on  its  errand  until  after  the  girl 
reached  home  and  gave  her  chauffeur  the  order. 
347 


348       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Orme  welcomed  this  evidence  that  she  had  got 
home  safely. 

Bessie  jumped  lightly  into  the  tonneau,  and 
Orme  followed.  The  car  glided  from  the  grounds. 
Eastward  it  went,  through  the  pleasant,  rolling 
farming  country,  that  was  wrapped  in  the  beauty 
of  the  starry  night.  They  crossed  a  bridge  over 
a  narrow  creek. 

"  You  would  hardly  think,"  said  Bessie,  "  that 
this  is  so-called  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago 
River." 

"  I  would  believe  anything  about  that  river," 
he  replied. 

She  laughed  nervously.  He  knew  that  she  was 
suppressing  her  natural  interest  in  the  scene  she 
had  witnessed  on  the  veranda;  yet,  of  course,  she 
was  expecting  some  explanation. 

"  Bessie,"  he  said,  "  I  am  sorry  to  have  got  into 
such  a  muss  there  at  the  club.  The  Japanese  min 
ister  was  the  last  man  I  wanted  to  see." 

She  did  not  answer. 

"  Perhaps  your  friend — whom  we  are  now  going 
to  visit — will  explain  things  a  little,"  he  went  on. 
"  I  can  tell  you  only  that  I  had  in  my  pocket  cer 
tain  papers  which  the  Jap  would  have  given  much 


THE  GOAL  349 

to  get  hold  of.  He  tried  it  by  accusing  me  of 
stealing  them  from  him.  It  was  very  awkward." 

"  I  understand  better  than  you  think,"  she  said, 
suddenly.  "  Don't  you  see,  you  big  stupid,  that 
I  know  where  we  are  going?  That  tells  me  some 
thing.  I  can  put  two  and  two  together." 

"  Then  I  needn't  try  to  do  any  more  explaining 
of  things  I  can't  explain." 

"  Of  course  not.  You  are  forgiven  all.  Just 
think,  Bob,  it's  nearly  a  year  since  you  stood  up 
with  Tom  and  me." 

"That's  so!" 

"  How  time  does  go !  See  " — as  the  car  turned 
at  a  crossing — "  we  are  going  northward.  We  are 
bound  for  the  village  of  Winnetka.  Does  that  tell 
you  anything?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  said  Orme,  striving  vainly  to 
give  the  Indian  name  a  place  in  his  mind. 

On  they  sped.  Orme  looked  at  his  watch.  It 
was  half-past  ten. 

"  We  must  be  nearly  there,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  it's  only  a  little  way,  now." 

They  were  going  eastward  again,  following  a 
narrow  dirt  road.  Suddenly  the  chauffeur  threw 
the  brakes  on  hard.  Orme  and  Bessie,  thrown  for- 


350       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

ward  by  the  sudden  stopping,  clutched  the  sides 
of  the  car.  There  was  a  crash,  and  they  found 
themselves  in  the  bottom  of  the  tonneau. 

Orme  was  unharmed.  "  Are  you  all  right,  Bes 
sie?  "  he  asked. 

"  All  right."    Her  voice  was  cheery. 

He  leaped  to  the  road.  The  chauffeur  had 
(descended  and  was  hurrying  to  the  front  of  the 
car. 

"  What  was  it  ?  "  asked  Orme. 

"  Someone  pushed  a  wheelbarrow  into  the  road 
just  as  we  were  coming." 

"  A  wheelbarrow !  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     There  it  is." 

Orme  looked  at  the  wheelbarrow.  It  was  wedged 
under  the  front  of  the  car.  He  peered  off  into  the 
field  at  the  left.  Dimly  he  could  see  a  running 
figure,  and  he  hastily  climbed  the  rail  fence  and 
started  in  pursuit. 

It  was  a  hard  sprint.  The  running  man  was 
fast  on  his  feet,  but  his  speed  did  not  long  serve 
him,  for  he  stumbled  and  fell.  He  did  not  rise,  and 
Orme,  coming  up,  for  the  moment  supposed  him  to 
be  stunned. 

Bending  over,  he  discovered  that  the  prostrate 


THE  GOAL  351 

man  was  panting  hard,  and  digging  his  hands 
into  the  turf. 

"  Get  up,"  commanded  Orme. 

The  man  got  to  his  knees  and,  turning,  raised 
supplicating  hands. 

"  Poritol !  "  exclaimed  Orme. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Orme,  spare  me.  It  was  an  accident." 
His  face  worked  convulsively.  "  I — I "  Some 
thing  like  a  sob  escaped  him,  and  Orme  again  found 
himself  divided  between  contempt  and  pity. 

"  What  were  you  doing  with  that  wheelbar 
row?" 

Poritol  kept  his  frightened  eyes  on  Orme's 
face,  but  he  said  nothing. 

"  Well,  I  will  explain  it.  You  followed  the  car 
when  it  started  for  Arradale.  You  waited  here, 
found  a  wheelbarrow,  and  tried  to  wreck  us.  It  is 
further  evidence  of  your  comic  equipment  that 
you  should  use  a  wheelbarrow." 

Poritol  got  to  his  feet.  "You  are  mistaken, 
dear  Mr.  Orme.  I — I " 

Orme  smiled  grimly.  "  Stop,"  he  said.  "  Don't 
explain.  Now  I  want  you  to  stay  right  here  in 
this  field  for  a  half  hour.  Don't  budge.  If  I  catch 
you  outside,  I'll  take  you  to  the  nearest  jail." 


352       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Poritol  drew  himself  up.  "  As  an  attache  I  am 
exempt,"  he  said,  with  a  pitiful  attempt  at  dig 
nity. 

"  You  are  not  exempt  from  the  consequences 
of  a  crime  like  this.  Now,  get  on  your  knees." 

Whimpering,  Poritol  kneeled. 

"  Stay  in  that  position." 

"  Oh,  sir — oh,  my  very  dear  sir.     I " 

"  Stay  there !  "  thundered  Orme. 

Poritol  was  still,  but  his  lips  moved,  and  his 
interlaced  fingers  worked  convulsively. 

As  Orme  walked  away,  he  stopped  now  and  then 
to  look  back.  Poritol  did  not  move,  and  Orme 
long  carried  the  picture  of  that  kneeling  figure. 

"Who  was  it?"  asked  Bessie  Wallingham,  as 
he  climbed  back  over  the  fence. 

"  A  puppy  with  sharp  teeth,"  he  replied,  think 
ing  of  what  the  girl  had  said.  "  We  might  as 
well  forget  him." 

She  studied  him  in  silence,  then  pointed  to  the 
chauffeur,  who  was  down  at  the  side  of  the  car. 

"  Anything  damaged?  "  Orme  queried. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Much?" 

"  Two  hours'  work,  sir." 

"  Pshaw ! "   Orme   shut  his   teeth   down   hard ; 


THE  GOAL  353 

Poritol,  had  he  known  it,  might  have  felt  thank 
ful  that  ihe  was  not  near  at  hand.  He  turned  to 
Bessie.  "How  much  farther  is  it?" 

The  chauffeur  answered.  "About  three  miles, 
sir." 

Three  miles  over  dark  country  roads — and  it 
was  nearly  eleven  o'clock.  He  glanced  ahead.  In 
the  distance  a  light  twinkled. 

"  Bessie,"  he  said,  "  come  with  me  to  that  farm 
house.  We  must  go  on.  Or,  if  you  prefer  to  wait 
here " 

"  I'll  go  with  you,  of  course." 

They  walked  along  the  road  to  the  farm  gate. 
A  cur  yelped  at  their  feet  as  they  approached  the 
house,  and  an  old  man,  coatless  and  slippered, 
opened  the  door,  holding  an  oil  lamp  high  above 
his  head.  "  Down,  Rover!  What  do  you  want?  " 
he  shouted. 

"  We've  got  to  have  a  rig  to  take  us  to  Win- 
netka,"  said  Orme.  "  Our  car  broke  down." 

The  old  man  reflected.  "  Can't  do  it,"  he  said, 
at  last.  "  All  shet  up  fer  the  night.  Can't  leave 
the  missus  alone." 

A  head  protruded  from  a  dark  upper  window. 
"  Yes,  you  can,  Simeon,"  growled  a  woman's  gut 
tural  voice. 


354,      THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Wall— I  don't  know " 

"  Yes,  you  can."  She  turned  to  Orme.  "  He'll 
take  ye  f er  five  dollars  cash.  Ye  can  pay  me." 

Orme  turned  to  Bessie.  "  Have  you  any 
money  ?  "  he  whispered. 

"  Heavens !  I  left  my  hand-bag  in  my  locker 
at  the  clubhouse.  How  stupid !  " 

"  Never  mind."  Orme  saw  that  he  must  lose 
the  marked  bill  after  all.  Regretfully  he  took  it 
from  his  pocket.  The  woman  had  disappeared 
from  the  window,  and  now  she  came  to  the  door 
and  stood  behind  her  husband.  Wrapped  in  an 
old  blanket,  she  made  a  gaunt  figure,  not  unlike  a 
squaw.  As  Orme  walked  up  the  two  or  three  steps, 
she  stretched  her  hand  over  her  husband's  shoulder 
and  snatched  the  bill,  examining  it  closely  by  the 
lamplight. 

"What's  this  writin'  on  it?"  she  demanded, 
fiercely. 

"Oh,  that's  just  somebody's  joke.  It  doesn't 
hurt  anything." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know."  She  looked  at  it  doubt 
fully,  then  crumpled  it  tight  in  her  fist.  "  I  guess 
it'll  pass.  Git  a  move  on  you,  Simeon." 

The  old  man  departed,  grumbling,  to  the  barn, 


THE  GOAL  355 

and  the  woman  drew  back  into  the  house,  shutting 
the  door  carefully.  Orme  and  Bessie  heard  the 
bolts  click  as  she  shot  them  home. 

"  Hospitable ! "  exclaimed  Bessie,  seating  her 
self  on  the  doorstep. 

After  a  wait  that  seemed  interminable,  the  old 
man  came  driving  around  the  house.  To  a  ram 
shackle  buggy  he  had  hitched  a  decrepit  horse. 
They  wedged  in  as  best  they  could,  the  old  man 
between  them,  and  at  a  shuffling  amble  the  nag 
proceeded  through  the  gate  and  turned  eastward. 

In  the  course  of  twenty  minutes  they  crossed 
railroad  tracks  and  entered  the  shady  streets  of 
the  village,  Bessie  directing  the  old  man  where 
to  drive.  Presently  they  came  to  the  entrance 
of  what  appeared  to  be  an  extensive  estate.  Back 
among  the  trees  glimmered  the  lights  of  a  house. 
"  Turn  in,"  said  Bessie. 

A  thought  struck  Orme.  If  Poritol,  why  not 
the  Japanese  ?  Maku  and  his  friends  might  easily 
have  got  back  to  this  place.  And  if  the  minister 
had  been  able  to  telephone  to  his  allies  from  Ar- 
radale,  they  would  be  expecting  him. 

"  Stop !  "  he  whispered.  "  Let  me  out.  You 
drive  on  to  the  door  and  wait  there  for  me." 


356         THE  GIRL  AND  THE  BILL 

Bessie  nodded.  She  did  not  comprehend,  but  she 
accepted  the  situation  unhesitatingly. 

Orme  noted,  by  the  light  of  the  lamp  at  the  gate, 
the  shimmer  of  the  veil  that  was  wound  around  her 
hat. 

"  Give  me  your  veil,"  he  said. 

She  withdrew  the  pins  and  unwound  the  piece 
of  gossamer.  He  took  it  and  stepped  to  the 
ground,  concealing  himself  among  the  trees  that 
lined  the  drive. 

The  buggy  proceeded  slowly.  Orme  followed 
afoot,  on  a  parallel  course,  keeping  well  back 
among  the  trees.  At  a  certain  point,  after  the 
buggy  passed,  a  figure  stepped  out  into  the  drive, 
and  stood  looking  after  it.  From  his  build  and 
the  peculiar  agility  of  his  motions,  he  was  recog 
nizable  as  Maku.  Orme  hunted  about  till  he  found 
a  bush  from  which  he  could  quietly  break  a 
wand  about  six  feet  long.  Stripping  it  of  leaves, 
he  fastened  the  veil  to  one  end  of  it  and  tiptoed 
toward  the  drive. 

The  Japanese  was  still  looking  after  the  buggy, 
which  had  drawn  up  before  the  house. 

Suddenly,  out  of  the  darkness  a  sinuous  gray 
form  came  floating  toward  him.  It  wavered,  ad- 


THE  GOAL  357 

vanced,  halted,  then  seemed  to  rush.  The  seance 
the  afternoon  was  fresh  in  the  mind  of  the  Japa 
nese.  With  screams  of  terror,  he  turned  and  fled 
down  the  drive,  while  Orme,  removing  the  veil 
from  the  stick,  moved  on  toward  the  house.  Ma 
dame  Alia's  game  certainly  was  effective  in  dealing 
with  Orientals. 

A  moment  later  Orme  and  Bessie  had  crossed 
the  roomy  veranda  and  were  at  the  door,  while 
the  old  man,  still  grumbling,  swung  around  the 
circle  of  the  drive  and  rattled  away.  Orme's 
heart  was  pounding.  When  the  servant  answered 
the  bell,  he  drew  back  and  he  did  not  hear  the 
words  which  Bessie  spoke  in  a  low  voice.  They 
were  ushered  into  a  wide  reception-hall,  and  the 
servant  went  to  announce  them. 

"  You  wish  to  see  her  alone,"  said  Bessie.  "  Go 
in  there  and  I  will  arrange  it." 

He  went  as  she  directed,  into  a  little  reception- 
room,  and  there  he  waited  while  subdued  feminine 
greetings  were  exchanged  in  the  hall  without. 
Then,  at  last,  through  the  doorway  came  the 
gracious,  lovely  figure  of  the  girl. 

"  Oh,"  she  whispered,  "  I  knew  you  would  come, 
dear — I  knew." 


358       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

He  took  her  hands  and  drew  her  to  him.  But 
with  a  glance  at  the  doorway  she  held  herself  away 
from  him. 

In  his  delight  at  seeing  her  he  had  almost  for 
gotten  his  mission.  But  now  he  remembered. 

"  I  have  the  papers,"  he  said,  taking  them  from 
his  pocket. 

"  I  was  sure  you  had  them.  I  was  sure  that  you 
would  come." 

He  laid  them  in  her  hands.  "  Forgive  me,  Girl, 
for  fooling  you  with  that  blank  contract." 

She  laughed  happily.  "  I  didn't  look  at  it 
until  I  got  home.  Then  I  was  so  disappointed  that 
I  almost  cried.  But  when  I  thought  it  over,  I 
understood.  Oh,  my  dear,  I  believed  in  you  so 
strongly  that  even  then  I  went  to  my  father  and 
told  him  that  the  papers  were  on  the  way — that 
they  would  be  here  in  time.  I  just  simply  knew 
you  would  come." 

Regardless  of  the  open  doorway  he  clasped  her 
closely,  and  she  buried  her  face  in  his  coat  with 
a  little  laugh  that  was  almost  a  sob.  Then,  sud 
denly,  she  left  him  standing  there  and,  holding  the 
papers  tight,  went  from  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A    SAVED    SITUATION 

HE  waited  impatiently  for  her  return.  Bessie,  he 
knew,  might  be  in  one  of  the  rooms  just  across 
the  hall,  but,  though  Bessie  was  a  trump,  he  did 
not  go  to  look  for  her.  The  girl  might  come 
back  at  any  moment — and  he  did  not  wish  to  miss 
one  instant  of  her  presence. 

Again  he  considered  the  miracle  of  her  appear 
ance  in  his  life,  and  he  rejoiced  that,  from  the 
first,  he  had  been  able  to  be  of  service  to  her.  Those 
loving,  trusting  words  that  she  had  just  spoken — 
how  they  glowed  in  his  heart !  She  had  known  that 
he  would  succeed !  He  could  only_  think  that  the 
secret  telegraphy  of  his  love  had  sent  her  messages 
of  confidence. 

And  yet  he  did  not  even  know  her  name.  The 
house  was  just  such  a  one  as  he  might  have 
imagined  to  be  her  home — beautiful,  with  the  air 
of  a  longer  family  tradition  than  is  commonly 
found  in  the  Middle  West — unobtrusive  but  com 
plete.  And  the  furnishings  of  the  room  in  which 

he  was  standing  were  in  quiet  but  perfect  taste. 
359 


360       THE    GIRL   AND    THE    BILL 

On  a  table  near  him  lay  a  book.  Mechanically 
he  picked  it  up. 

It  opened  at  the  fly-leaf.  Something  was  writ 
ten  there — her  name,  perhaps. 

He  closed  the  cover  without  reading  the  inscrip 
tion,  conscious  only  of  a  line  of  writing  in  a  femi 
nine  hand  that  might  be  hers  or  another's.  No, 
he  could  wait.  The  name  did  not  matter.  She  was 
his,  and  that  was  enough. 

Near  the  book  lay  an  empty  envelope,  addressed 
to — he  averted  his  eyes. 

He  found  himself  wondering  whether  Poritol 
was  still  kneeling  in  the  field,  and  whether  Maku 
was  still  running,  and  whether  the  Japanese  min 
ister  was  still  telling  charming  stories  on  the 
porch  at  Arradale. 

And  presently,  when  she  came  again,  her  face 
radiant,  and  said  softly,  "  You  have  done  a  great 
thing,  my  dear " — when  she  said  that,  he  could 
only  look  and  look  and  thank  Heaven  for  his 
blessedness. 

"  Where  were  the  papers  when  you  fooled  me 
into  leaving  you?  "  she  asked. 

"  Arima  had  them.  It's  quite  a  story,  Girl, 
dear." 


A    SAVED    SITUATION  361 

"  Then,  wait  a  little  while,"  she  interrupted ; 
"  we  have  permission  to  see  the  papers  signed." 

A  smile  of  mischief  alone  betrayed  her  recog 
nition  of  his  bewilderment. 

Why  should  the  signing  be  treated  as  a  matter 
of  such  importance?  It  must  mean  a  great  deal 
to  her  and  hers.  The  hour  was  now  about  half- 
past  eleven,  and  he  remembered  that  in  a  short  time 
it  would  have  been  too  late. 

She  led  him  through  the  adjoining  room  and 
to  the  curtained  doorway  of  a  library — long,  al- 
coved,  shelved  with  books,  and  furnished  with 
heavy  leather  chairs.  In  the  center  was  a  large 
table  of  polished  mahogany,  upon  which  rested  a 
reading-lamp. 

The  glow  of  this  lamp  illuminated  the  forms  and 
faces  of  a  group  of  serious-faced  men — two  seated, 
the  others  standing.  In  the  golden  light,  with  the 
dim  background  of  shelves,  surmounted  here  and 
there  by  a  vase  or  a  classic  bust,  the  group  im 
pressed  Orme  like  a  stately  painting — a  tableau 
distinguished  by  solemn  dignity. 

"  We  are  to  remain  here  and  keep  very  quiet," 
whispered  the  girl. 

Orme  nodded.     His  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  face 


362       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

of  a  man  who  sat  at  the  table,  a  pen  poised  in  his 
hand.  Those  strong,  straight  features — the  eyes, 
with  their  look  of  sympathetic  comprehension,  so 
like  the  girl's — the  lips,  eloquent  in  their  calmness 
— surely  this  was  her  father.  But  Orme's  heart 
beat  faster,  for  the  face  of  this  man,  framed  in 
its  wavy  gray  hair,  was  familiar.  He  seemed  to 
know  every  line  of  it. 

Where  had  he  seen  this  man?  That  they  had 
never  met,  he  felt  certain,  unless,  indeed,  they  had 
shaken  hands  in  a  casual  and  forgotten  introduc 
tion. 

Or  was  he  led  into  a  feeling  of  recognition  by 
the  undoubted  resemblance  of  father  to  daugh 
ter?  No,  it  could  not  be  that;  and  yet  this  man, 
or  his  picture — ah!  The  recognition  came  to 
Orme  in  a  flash. 

This  was  the  magnetic  face  that  was  now  so 
often  appearing  in  the  press — the  face  of  the 
great,  the  revered,  the  able  statesman  upon  whom 
rested  so  great  a  part  of  the  burden  of  the  coun 
try's  welfare.  No  wonder  that  Orme  recognized 
it,  for  it  was  the  face  of  the  Secretary  of  State! 
'And  the  girl  was  his  daughter. 

Orme  was  amazed  to  think  how  he  had  failed 


A  SAVED   SITUATION  3G3 

to  piece  the  facts  together.  The  rumors  of  im 
portant  international  negotiations  ;  the  sudden  but 
not  serious  illness  of  the  Secretary ;  his  temporary 
retirement  from  Washington  to  Chicago,  to  be 
near  his  favorite  physician — for  weeks  the  papers 
had  been  full  of  these  incidents. 

When  South  Americans  and  Japanese  combined 
to  hinder  the  signing  of  mysterious  papers,  he 
should  have  realized  that  the  matter  was  not  of 
private,  but  of  public  importance.  But  the  true 
significance  of  the  events  into  which  he  had  been 
drawn  had  escaped  his  logical  mind.  It  had  never 
occurred  to  him  that  such  a  series  of  plots,  fre 
quent  though  they  might  be  in  continental  Europe* 
could  ever  be  attempted  in  a  country  like  the 
United  States.  And  then,  he  had  actually  thought 
of  little  besides  the  girl  and  her  needs. 

He  glanced  at  her  now,  but  her  gaze  was  fixed 
on  the  scene  before  them.  The  brightness  of  her 
eyes  and  her  quickened  breathing  told  him. how 
intense  was  her  interest. 

Across  the  table  from  the  Secretary  of  State 
sat  a  younger  man.  His  breast  glittered  with 
decorations,  and  his  bearing  and  appearance  had 
all  the  stiffness  of  the  high-born  Teuton. 


364       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

Of  the  men  who  stood  behind  the  two  seated 
figures,  some  were  young,  some  were  old,  but  all 
were  weighted  with  the  gravity  of  a  great  mo 
ment.  Orme  inferred  that  they  were  secretaries 
and  attaches. 

And  now  pens  scratched  on  paper.  The  Sec 
retary  of  State  and  the  German  Ambassador — 
for  Orme  knew  that  it  must  be  he — were  signing 
documents,  apparently  in  duplicate,  for  they  ex 
changed  papers  after  signing  and  repeated  the 
action.  So  these  were  the  papers  which  at  the 
last  hour  Orme  had  restored ;  and  this  was  the 
scene  which  his  action  had  made  possible — all 
for  the  sake  of  a  girl. 

And  when  the  last  pen-stroke  had  been  com 
pleted  and  the  seated  men  raised  their  eyes  and 
looked  at  each  other — looked  at  each  other  with 
the  responsible  glance  of  men  who  have  made  his 
tory — at  that  moment  the  girl  whispered  to  Orme : 
"  Come,"  and  silently  he  followed  her  back  to  the 
room  in  which  he  had  first  awaited  her. 

"  Oh,  Girl,"  he  whispered,  as  she  turned  and 
faced  him,  "  Oh,  Girl,  I  am  so  glad ! " 

She  smiled.     "  Please  wait  for  a  moment." 

When   she  had  disappeared  he   repictured  the 


A    SAVED    SITUATION  365 

scene  they  had  just  witnessed.  With  all  its  absence 
of  pomp,  it  had  left  with  him  an  impression  that 
could  never  be  effaced. 

Again  the  girl  appeared  in  the  doorway,  and 
leaning  on  her  arm  was  her  father.  Orme  stepped 
forward.  The  Secretary  smiled  and  extended  his 
hand. 

"  Mr.  Orme,"  he  said,  "  we  owe  you  much.  My 
daughter  has  told  me  something  of  your  experi 
ences.  You  may  be  sure  that  I  had  no  notion, 
when  this  affair  began,  that  she  would  have  to  en 
velop  herself  and  others  in  so  much  mystery,  but 
now  that  all  has  ended  well,  I  can  only  be  thank 
ful."  He  seated  himself.  "  You  will  excuse  me ; 
I  am  not  quite  strong  yet,  though,  as  I  might 
say,  very  convalescent." 

The  girl  was  leaning  on  the  back  of  her  father's 
chair.  "  Tell  father  the  story,  won't  you,  please  ?  " 
she  asked. 

So  Orme  quickly  narrated  the  series  of  events 
that  began  with  his  stroll  along  State  Street  the 
afternoon  of  the  day  before.  "  It  doesn't  sound 
true,  does  it?  "  he  concluded. 

"  But  the  marked  five-dollar  bill  will  always  be 
evidence  of  its  truth,"  said  the  girl;  and  then, 


366       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

with  a  suggestion  of  adorable  shyness,  "  We  must 
go  and  redeem  that  bill  sometime." 

The  Secretary  was  pondering.  He  had  listened 
with  manifest  interest,  interrupting  now  and  then 
with  questions  that  helped  to  bring  out  salient 
points.  At  the  report  of  the  conversation  between 
Alcatrante  and  the  Japanese  concerning  the  com 
missions  on  ships,  he  had  leaned  forward  with 
especial  attention.  And  now,  after  a  few  moments 
of  thought,  he  said: 

"  The  Japanese  minister  we  can  handle.  As  for 
Alcatrante,  I  must  see  to  it  that  he  is  recalled — 
and  Poritol." 

"  Poor  little  Mr.  Poritol ! "  exclaimed  the  girl. 
"  Do  you  think  he  is  still  kneeling  in  that  field?  " 

"  Possibly,"  said  Orme,  smiling.  "  We  will 
look  to  see  when  we  go  to  redeem  the  bill." 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Orme,"  said  the  Secretary,  "  that 
I  may  fairly  give  you  a  little  clearer  insight  into 
the  importance  of  the  papers  which  you  rescued 
for  us.  You  have  seen  stories  of  the  rumors  of 
negotiations  with  some  foreign  Power  ?  " 
Yes,"  said  Orme. 

"  But,  perhaps  you  have  not  known  of  the  se 
cret  but  aggressive  policy  which  Japan  has  lately 


"'Tell  father  the  story,  won't  you,  please?'  she  asked" 


A    SAVED    SITUATION  367 

adopted  toward  us.  The  exchange  of  friendly 
notes  a  few  years  ago  might  as  well  not  have  oc 
curred.  If  we  had  done  nothing  to  check  the 
tendencies  in  the  Pacific,  we  should  have  been  at 
war  within  another  year.  Only  a  complete  un 
derstanding  and  definite  agreement  with  some 
strong  nation  could  prevent  hostilities.  The  An 
glo-Japanese  alliance  eliminated  Great  Britain 
as  a  possible  ally.  There  were  reasons  why  it 
seemed  inadvisable  to  turn  to  France,  for  an  ar 
rangement  there  would  involve  the  recognition  of 
Russian  interests.  Therefore,  we  sought  an  al 
liance  with  Germany. 

"  The  German  Ambassador  and  myself  drafted 
a  treaty  last  month,  with  the  proviso  that  it  must 
be  signed  within  a  certain  period  which,  as  you 
know,  will  expire  within  a  few  minutes.  My  ill 
ness  followed,  and  with  it  the  necessity  of  coming 
to  our  home,  here.  I  had  expected  to  return  to 
Washington  last  week,  but  as  Doctor  Allison  for 
bade  me  to  travel  for  a  while  longer,  I  had  the 
drafts  of  the  treaty  sent  on,  and  urged  the  Ger 
man  Ambassador  to  pay  me  a  long-deferred  visit. 
He  and  his  suite  have  been  here  several  days,  in 
mufti. 


368      THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

"  Now,  Mr.  Orme,  this  treaty  concerns  two 
important  relations — a  just  balance  of  power  in 
the  Pacific  and  a  just  arrangement  by  which  the 
countries  of  South  America  can  be  made  to  live 
up  to  their  obligations.  I  cannot  go  into  details, 
and  it  will  be  some  months  before  the  treaty  will 
be  made  public — but  Japan  must  not  dominate  our 
Pacific  trade  routes,  and  the  Monroe  Doctrine 
must  be  applied  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  not 
shelter  evil-doers.  You  understand  now  why  Al- 
catrante  and  the  Japanese  minister  were  working 
together." 

"  It  is  quite  clear,"  said  Orme.  "  I  don't  wish 
you  to  tell  me  any  more  than  is  advisable,  but  the 
Japanese  minister  said  that,  if  the  new  treaty 
should  lapse,  the  German  Government  would  now 
renew  it." 

"  Very  true,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  The  Ger 
man  Ambassador  is  pleased  with  the  treaty.  After 
it  had  been  drafted,  however,  and  after  his  home 
government  had  agreed  to  the  terms,  Japan 
brought  pressure  to  bear  in  Germany.  The  result 
of  this  Japanese  effort — which  contained  a  coun 
ter-proposition  for  the  isolation  of  Russia — was 
that  the  German  Government  weakened — not  to 


A    SAVED    SITUATION  369 

the  point  of  disavowing  the  arrangement  with  us, 
but  in  the  event  of  a  redrafting  of  the  treaty,  to 
the  adoption  of  a  less  favorable  basis  of  negotia 
tions,  or,  possibly,  even  to  the  interposition  of  such 
obstacles  as  would  make  a  treaty  possible.  You 
can  see  how  essential  these  papers  were  to  us. 
There  was  not  time  to  provide  new  copies,  for  the 
lost  drafts  carried  certain  seals  and  necessary  sig 
natures  which  could  not  be  duplicated  on  short 
notice." 

"Did  the  German  Ambassador  know  of  the 
loss?  "  Orme  was  encouraged  to  ask  questions  by 
the  Secretary's  obvious  desire  to  explain  as  fully 
as  he  could. 

"  No  one  knew  of  it,  Mr.  Orme,  excepting  my 
daughter  and  myself — that  is,  no  one  besides  the 
South  Americans  and  the  Japanese.  It  seemed 
wise  to  say  nothing.  There  were  no  secret  serv 
ice  men  at  hand,  and  even  if  there  had  been,  I 
doubt  if  they  would  have  acted  as  efficiently  as  you 
have  acted.  The  police,  I  know,  would  have  bun 
gled,  and,  above  all  else,  publicity  had  to  be 
avoided. 

"  As  things  have  turned  out,  I  am  glad  that 
Poritol  set  his  burglar  on  us  when  he  did;  other- 


370       THE    GIRL    AND    THE    BILL 

wise  Malm  would  have  got  the  treaty  at  the  last 
moment.  Alcatrante's  desire  to  secure  a  diplo 
matic  advantage  over  the  Japanese  was  really  the 
saving  of  us." 

The  Secretary  paused.  His  face  lighted  up  with 
a  rare  smile.  "  Above  everything  else,  Mr.  Orme, 
I  thank  you." 

He  arose  and  rang  for  a  servant. 

"  And  now,"  he  continued,  "  I  know  you  will 
excuse  me  if  I  return  to  my  guests.  My  daughter 
will  bring  you  in  presently,  so  that  we  may  have 
the  pleasure  of  making  you  acquainted  with  them. 
And,  of  course,  you  will  remain  with  us  till  to 
morrow."  He  smiled  again  and  went  slowly  from 
the  room  on  the  arm  of  the  servant. 

Orme  turned  to  the  girl.  Her  face  was  rosy  and 
her  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  arm  of  her  chair. 

"  Girl,  dear,"  he  said,  "  I  can  hardly  believe 
that  it  is  all  true." 

She  did  not  answer,  and  while  he  gazed  at  her, 
surprised  at  her  silence,  failing  to  understand  her 
sudden  embarrassment,  Bessie  Wallingham  ap 
peared  in  the  doorway  and  stood  hesitant." 

"  Am  I  still  not  wanted?  "  said  Bessie,  roguery 
in  her  voice.  "  Sure,  ye'll  find  me  a  faithful  serv- 


A    SAVED    SITUATION  371 

ant.  I  minds  me  own  business  and  asks  no  ques 
tions." 

The  girl  rushed  over  to  her  friend. 

"  Oh,  Bessie,"  she  cried,  with  a  little  laugh — 
"  Oh,  Bessie,  won't  you  please  come  in  and — 
and " 

Orme  began  to  understand.  "  And  wait  for  us 
a  little  longer,"  he  broke  in. 

Masterfully  he  led  the  girl  out  through  the 
doorway  to  the  hall. 

Bessie  Wallingham  looked  after  their  retreating 
figures.  "  Well,  I  never !  "  she  exclaimed. 


THE   END 


T\_  j.  „    T^,,^ 

University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


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PRINTED   IN   U.S./ 


CAT.   NO.   24    161 


A     000589257 


1970016642180 


